28 Michigan Greens Will Stand on the Ballot November 7, Campaign for 'Peace, Jobs, and Justice'

Green Party of Michigan
http://www.migreens.org

August 8, 2006

For More Information, Contact:
John Anthony La Pietra, Elections Co-ordinator/GPMI jalp@triton.net

• 20 Nominated Over the Weekend at GPMI State Convention in Shaftsburg; 8 More in Caucuses

• Party Renews Opposition to "Civil Rights" Scam MCRI, Hunting of Michigan's Bird of Peace; Also Says "No" to Hasty, Fiscally Irresponsible Repeal of SBT

SHAFTSBURG, MICHIGAN -- The Green Party of Michigan (GPMI) nominated a score of candidates for this fall's general election, and took positions on three statewide issues, at its 2006 state convention at Woodhull Township Hall in Shaftsburg.  

The twenty candidates from the convention join eight more who were already nominated in local and county caucuses. All will campaign on the party's central theme for 2006: "Peace, Jobs, and Justice." 

Several candidates nominated at the convention are members of a "Stop the War" slate of peace activists from across Michigan. They joined with the Greens to give more voters across Michigan more chances to voice their opposition to the perpetual-conflict policies of politicians as usual. 

GPMI Elections Co-ordinator John Anthony La Pietra noted the significance of the convention's timing. "Today is the 61st anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. It's a day to remember that military might doesn't make us right -- a day to think about choosing peace instead." 

Michigan Greens also renewed their support for the state bird of peace, voting unanimously to promote a "no" vote in this fall's referendum on shooting mourning doves. Governor Granholm and the Legislature struck a deal in 2004 to end the state's 99-year ban on dove-hunting, but opponents turned in almost 300,000 signatures on petitions to let the voters decide. 

And GPMI continued its opposition to another statewide ballot question, once again unanimously rejecting the so-called "Michigan Civil Rights Initiative". Misnamed and misleading, MCRI would force state agencies to turn a blind eye to institutionalized racism and discrimination. It would end the collection of data showing the lingering effects of institutionalized racism, and gut programs like Affirmative Action that would "address and redress discrimination", in the words of a 2004 GPMI resolution. 

Both these votes repeated positions Michigan Greens had taken at their last convention in 2004. This year, they added another "no" vote on a state issue which may or may not be on the November ballot: the proposal to dump Michigan's Single Business Tax (SBT) all but immediately -- and without the financial discipline of stating how to plug the hole SBT's departure would leave in the budget. 

La Pietra and other Michigan Greens will finish the task of getting GPMI's candidates on the November 7 ballot by turning in required paperwork to the Bureau of Elections and several county clerks on Monday. 

State law requires Greens to nominate by caucuses and conventions, rather than letting them take part in this coming week's public primary votes.  "It's a bit ironic," said La Pietra. "We're the party that supports clean elections and public financing of campaigns, but we're the ones shut out of the publicly financed and promoted primary elections." 

But Green candidates will be included on this fall's general-election ballot, under the party's sunflower symbol. And well before then, they will be listed -- alongside the candidates of other parties kept out of the August primaries -- on the State Bureau of Elections Web page of candidates for Tuesday, November 7: 

http://miboecfr.nictusa.com/election/candlist/06GEN/06GEN_CL.HTM

GPMI's home page is at: http://www.migreens.org 

Candidates Nominated at GPMI 2006 State Convention August 5-6, 2006 * Woodhull Township Hall, Shaftsburg

Douglas Campbell 
Governor

David Frank Skrbina
Lieutenant Governor

Lynn Meadows 
Secretary of State

David Sole
US Senator

David J. Newland
US Representative/Congressional District 01

Rodger William Gurk
US Representative/Congressional District 03

Kenny R. Mathenia
US Representative/Congressional District 05

Aaron Stuttman
US Representative/Congressional District 08

Matthew Abel
US Representative/Congressional District 09  [Oakland County]

Candace Ruth Caveny
US Representative/Congressional District 10

Arthur William Myatt
US Representative/Congressional District 12

Aimee Smith
US Representative/Congressional District 15

Kevin Anthony Carey
statewide/State Board of Education

Jacob Woods
statewide/State Board of Education

Edward Arthur Morin
statewide/University of Michigan Board of Regents

Lauren Elizabeth Spencer
statewide/Michigan State University Board of Trustees

Margaret Guttshall
statewide/Wayne State University Board of Governors

Michael William Merriweather
statewide/Wayne State University Board of Governors

Lloyd Clarke
State Senator/District 32 [Gratiot & Saginaw Counties]

Pete Van Jr.
State Representative/District 088 [Allegan County]

Nominated Earlier at County Caucuses

James Wolbrink
State Senator/District 05 [Wayne County]

Richard T. Kuszmar
State Senator/District 09 [Macomb County]

Kyle McBee
State Senator/District 13 [Oakland County]

William J. Opalicky
State Senator/District 14 [Oakland County]

Kristen Hamel
State Rep/District 001 [Wayne County]

Fred D. Vitale
State Rep/District 003 [Wayne County]

Derek M. Grigsby
State Rep/District 007 [Wayne County]

Pete Schermerhorn
Ann Arbor City Council/Ward 3 [Washtenaw County]