The Green Party of New York State voted to make the peace sign their official ballot symbol to highlight their status as the only peace party on the ballot. The Green Party has actively organized against the ongoing wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Libya. They also called for a 50 to 75% cut in the military budget. Nonviolence is a core principle of the Green Party and was adopted as part of the party's official principles, along with grassroots democracy; ecology; and social and economic justice.
The Green Party of Suffolk, the county's largest peace organization, was at the March 19, march and vigil calling for an end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
John Keenan, a 2002 Green Party Congressional candidate spoke at the event. "Had enough? Here we are eight years later, and no indications that we are moving toward an end to the 'war on terrorism'" said Keenan. "I don't see an opposition party in DC. I wish there was."
"You want to move Dems to the left? Vote Green. You want to them to keep disappointing you? Keep voting for them," Keenan continued. "This is directed to those of you who are afraid to leave that cesspool of disappointment for fear things will get worse. Voting Green is not a promise of quick change, but it is a promise there finally will be a change."
The date was chosen to mark the eighth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. Since December 2002, the North Country Peace Group has demonstrated every Saturday morning on the in Setauket for an end to the Iraq War and Afghanistan War, and a speedy and safe return of our troops.
The Green Party, also known as America's Peace Party, has nearly 1500 members in Suffolk County. The Green Party has continually opposed the Afghanistan and Iraq war and has consistently called for the immediate return of our troops, in stark contrast to the Democratic and Republican parties. The Green Party has always been part of the national peace movement. The opposition has been expressed across the board, from local Green Party members marching in a Smithtown peace vigil while U.S. bombs were first being dropped on innocent Afghanis, to the campaigns of National and State Green Party candidates.
The Democratic and Republican Parties have refused to listen to Green Party candidates telling them that their war policies were based on false information and flawed policy analysis. In 2002, Green Party Congressional candidate John Keenan (2nd Dist) explained why attacking Iraq and Afghanistan were bad policy based on false information and a misguided idea of revenge. His opponent, Congressman Steve Israel, kept insisting that he had read two books that backed the necessity to follow the invasion of Afghanistan with an invasion of Iraq. As former FDNY member Keenan had predicted, the books cited by Israel not only turned out to be false, but were funded by the CIA as propaganda tools.
Six years later in the 2008 presidential election, the Democratic and Republican candidates still had not learned from their fatal mistakes. While on the national stage, Green Party Presidential candidate (and former Congresswoman) Cynthia McKinney warned Obama and McCain to not continue the failed policies in Iraq and Afghanistan. The same dialogue played out with the local surrogates for their campaigns. In a presidential debate in Huntington with local political leaders standing in for their candidates, Green Party of Suffolk chair Roger Snyder warned the Democratic and Republican stand-ins that the U.S. would be best served byimmediate withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan. Suffolk County Legislator Jon Cooper, standing in for Obama, called the idea of immediate withdrawal "naive"
"It's time for the rank and file of America's Peace Movement to come home to America's Peace Party," said Snyder. "Today we march, tomorrow we vote."
German Greens hail state victory in
vote overshadowed by Fukushima
 |
| Winfried Kretschmann is likely to become the Green party's first regional 'minister president' after the Baden-Württemberg state elections. Photograph: Uli Deck/AFP/Getty Images |
Winfried Kretschmann is likely to become the Green party's first regional 'minister president' after the Baden-Württemberg state elections. Photograph: Uli Deck/AFP/Getty Images
The Green party has taken power from Angela Merkel's conservatives in one of Germany's richest states, preliminary results from the Baden-Württemberg elections show.
The chancellor's Christian Democratic Union party, or CDU, had ruled the region's state legislature for almost 58 years, but found itself on the wrong side of the nuclear debate following Fukushima. Even before the Japanese earthquake, the party was unpopular locally for sanctioning a multibillion euro project to build a railway station in Stuttgart.
Support for the CDU slumped from 44.2% in the 2006 state election to 39%, according to official results.
The state parliament's new leader would be Winfried Kretschmann, 62, a spiky-haired former science teacher. He is likely to become the Green party's first regional "minister president" after his party gained 25% of the vote; enough, when combined with the 23.1% for the centre-left Social Democratic party, to form a coalition. Minister presidents are powerful on a national as well as a regional level, because they have a vote in Germany's upper house, the Bundesrat, and can veto legislation.
It would mark a historic win for the minority party, which polled 11.7% in Baden-Württemberg in 2006. Even when the Greens were in government in a coalition with Gerhard Schröder's Social Democrats between 1998 and 2005, and had Joschka Fischer as foreign minister, the party never managed to win a regional "Landtag" election.
"We have written history," said Claudia Roth, joint leader of the Green party, speaking in Berlin after polls closed. Dressed head-to-toe in green, including glittery emerald ballet pumps, she said the result would have repercussions far beyond the borders of Baden-Württemberg. It was, she said, "a resounding slap in the face" for Merkel's coalition.
Commentators have suggested that a dramatic CDU defeat makes Merkel's position untenable. It would be "the beginning of the end" for her, wrote one on Spiegel Online on Friday. Others suggest the leader known as Iron Angie will plough on until the general election in 2013.
Also voting on Sunday was Rhineland-Palatinate state, where an ARD exit poll saw the Social Democrats retain power but only by agreeing to a coalition government with the Greens. The SPD fell 10 percentage points to 35.5%, while the Greens appeared to have more than trebled their vote, with 17%, according to the exit poll, and will send representatives to that regional parliament for the first time. The Christian Democrats are seen gaining 1.2% to 34%.
But this did little to numb the pain in Baden-Württemberg; though the CDU did win more votes than any other single party, its preferred coalition partner, the pro-business Free Democratic party, performed abysmally. The FDP were at 5.3%, down from 10.7% in 2006. In Rheinland-Pfalz, the FDP failed to get the 5% minimum necessary to gain any seats in the state parliament.
This poor showing poses difficult questions for the FDP's leader, the unpopular foreign minister Guido Westerwelle. It could also call into question the national CDU-FDP coalition in power since autumn 2009. Within half an hour of the first exit poll, Daniel Bahr, an FDP politician from Nordrhein-Westfalen, told ARD his party needed to consider a "change of personnel".
The Green vote was helped by the argument in Germany over its 17 nuclear power plants, heightened by the Fukushima disaster. In the aftermath, Merkel performed an 180-degree policy change by announcing the closure of seven stations built before 1980. She also said she was committed to speeding up total withdrawal from nuclear power.
This was six months after she had ignored public opinion by extending the life of the 17 plants by an average 12 years; in this, one of her most vociferous supporters was Baden-Württemberg's minister president, Stefan Mappus; he paid the price for his loyalty.
Green Party of Suffolk Regains Automatic Ballot Line
Increases Vote Totals by 40%
With 56,868 votes, the Green Party of New York State Governor candidate Howie Hawkins has surpassed the 50,000 votes mark need to reclaim the automatic ballot line for the next four years. It will be much easier for Green Party candidates to run for local, state and national offices in New York State! The last time the Green Party of New York State had an automatic ballot line, they set the national record of running over 100 candidates statewide. And, the Green Party will be on voter registration forms again. The new registration forms mean the Green Party will grow even faster.
The Green Party of Suffolk garnered at least 4,098 votes for our Governor candidate yesterday. Suffolk exceeded the 2006 numbers by 40%, jumping from 2,908 votes in the Governor's race four years ago.
"The Green Party of Suffolk is honored to once again be able to provide a strong progressive voice by running candidates on the Suffolk ballot," said Green Party of Suffolk Chair Roger Snyder. "Though state election laws have made it difficult for us to run candidates without ballot status, we have remained a strong progressive voice on important issues such as Broadwater, Insanity Island, police taser use, the Afghanistan War, the Iraq war, drone use, renewable energy, sustainable land use, and immigrant rights. The Green Party by regaining ballot status will add to the electoral arena more peace candidates, more single-payer candidates, more immigrant rights candidates, more Main Street candidates, more anti-fracking candidates, and more sustainable energy candidates."
"This is the best showing ever for statewide Green Party candidates. It is the culmination of months of hard work on the part of many party members, and the candidates themselves. Voters are open to hearing ideas from a party not beholden to Wall Street and special interests. Howie Hawkins campaigned tirelessly to promote the idea of a Green New Deal, funded by progressive taxation on the wealthy, and using the stock transfer tax we already collect to fill the budget gap. Voters who heard the message understood that Howie's platform made sense, and that it's the austerity plans of Cuomo and Paladino that are nonsense," said Peter LaVenia, Co-chair of the NY State Green Party.
"People support Green Party ideas when they hear them: ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, single-payer universal health care, living wage jobs, renewable energy - and in this election we see they are linking our candidates to the issues they care about most. This is a building block for the future. We are going to use this victory to elect Greens statewide, starting at the local level and moving on up to the state," stated Eric Jones, Co-chair of the NYS Green Party.
"While this campaign is over, we're not waiting around for the next one to begin - there's too much work to be done. The Green Party intends to be an independent force in NY State politics for working New Yorkers. Andrew Cuomo and the State Legislature are on notice - this is one party that doesn't sell its ballot line for influence," said LaVenia.
The four pillars of the Green Party are: Nonviolence. Grassroots Democracy. Social and Economic Justice. Ecological Wisdom.
Green Party Supports Council Districts in Huntington, NY
"The Green Party of Suffolk
supports the proposition to bring council districts to Huntington
town," said its chair Roger Snyder, a Huntington resident. "A
key value of the Green Party is Grassroots Democracy, and it is clear
that at-large districts are the farthest from that ideal."
On Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2009, voters in the Town of Huntington will
be able to vote in favor of setting up council districts, or a ward
system, to elect their town council members. "A system that offers
better representation from all parts of a town, with smaller districts
and an opportunity to be closer to one's elected representative is
a win for all a towns residents," said Snyder. "Experience
in other towns in Suffolk and Nassau counties has shown that a system
of Council Districts works better for residents and their representatives."
The current Huntington at-large electoral system diminishes the voting
power of some residents, reducing representation of all of a town's
neighborhoods. Council districts make it easier for citizen candidates
to participate by providing more reasonable sized districts. Currently
the town council district, with over 200,000 residents, is three to
four times the size of Suffolk County legislative districts.
"This change would be a good step towards insuring a representative government
in Huntington," Snyder continued, "and we urge a yes vote on Dec.
22, 2009."
Green Party of Suffolk
End Global Warming
2008 Poster Contest Winners
Winner Maya Gouw, Middle Grade
Other Winners
Alexis Albrecht, Elementary
Giovanna
Arbito and Luz Cruz, High School
Tom Stock, Adult
Ahmad Ali Mitchel-El
for
Suffolk County Executive 2007
From Green Party County Executive Candidate Ahmad
Ali Mitchel-El
"To all of those who assisted in any way Thank
You for supporting this effort. The
thing I learned in this process, is that the people want change and
that it is time for all of us who genuinely believe in this platform
to reach out and grow the Green Party. In business we call this
situation Opportunity, and it won’t last forever so we really
need to look at strategies that can offer public service from a Green
candidate. So along with Gratitude I urge everyone to ask like-minded
people to get on board and help work to make the next campaign a Winner."
Ahmad
Ali Mitchel-El
Green Party of
Suffolk
End the Iraq War - Bring Home Our Troops
2007 Poster Contest
Congratulations to the winners!
Under 18 Category |
18 and Up Category Alberto Castro |
Honorable Mention - Maya Gouw |
|
A video of David Komoroski's winning entry:
Green Party of Suffolk T-Shirts availed with PEACE symbol front. Click on the pictures to go to the store.
Campaign Finance Reform, or Third Party Poison Pill?
News story on News 12 Long Island concerning HR 4694. This bill would limit, and in some cases for all practical purposes eliminate funding for third party candidates in congressional races.
In some instances third party and independent candidates could not spend one cent on a race.
The video is here.
GPoS Press Release:
Steve Israel, member of congress from
the 2nd congressional district, has co-sponsored a bill that would
effectively bar third party candidates from
running for Congress. The bill, HR 4694, requires third party
candidates to either have gotten 25% of the vote in the last election
or
to collect signatures of 10 to 20% of the voters in their district
to be able to spend money in an election campaign. For a
potential third party candidate in the 2nd Congressional District,
this would mean the need to collect as many as 56,000 signatures
to receive full funding - or to even spend one penny of their
own funds.
In 2002 when Steve Israel ran for Congress in the 2nd Congressional
District, in addition to a Republican opponent, Israel also
faced Green Party candidate John Keenan. Unlike Israel, Keenan
had a
platform that was progressive and strongly opposed to war.
Throughout the years, Israel has run on a platform and reputation
of being a conservative Democrat, who has even proudly named cooperation
with President Bush on his campaign literature. On the campaign
trail in 2004, Steve Israel argued in favor of the War on Iraq.
Considering that voters in the 2nd CD often face the choice of
a right wing Republican, or Steve Israel, a right wing Democrat,
it is even more important that third parties are allowed to exist
and offer an alternative. Here in Suffolk County, as in many places
around the nation, the Green Party candidate--and not the Democrat--is
the only choice voters have at the polls to oppose the war.
"
Now, eight Democrats, some of them conservative, but some very
liberal, have proposed a problematic bill in Congress," said
Jim Brown, Green Party candidate for Congress in the 3rd District. "On
the surface, the bill could be perceived as positive, because
it mentions publicly financed campaigns. Though, the bottom line
is that this bill would create a nearly impossible hurdle for
third party candidates. And, the fact that three of the co-signers
have in the past faced Green Party challengers, points even more
to the fact that this bill is designed to hurt growing third parties."
Jim Brown added, "True democracy would be hurt by this horrendous
bill."
Contact:
Kimberly Wilder, Green Party
of Suffolk County Press Secretary
(631) 422-4702
John Keenan, 2002 Green Party candidate for Congress for the 2nd
District (631) 523-9558
Jim Brown, 2006 Green Party candidate for Congress for the 3rd
District (516) 432-8156
Green Party looks to offer political voice for 'working people'
Group hopes to gather more support in Tier
Matthew Borenstein of the New York City Green Party voices his opinions during the New York State Green Party committee meeting Saturday at the Fellowship Hall of the First Congregational Church in Binghamton.
By Brian Liberatore
Press & Sun-Bulletin
BINGHAMTON — The better-of-two-evils approach to voting leaves polling places
sparse and dampens hope for a responsive government, a local Green Party member
and Afton town board member said Saturday. Dissatisfaction with the two-party
system, she said, soon gives way to apathy.
"I think people feel if there are only two parties and neither one is representing me, there isn't a lot of motivation to vote," said Mary Jo Long, who ran on the Green Party line in November 2005 and won a seat on the Afton board. "In a way what has happened is the Green Party is the alternative party."
Continue reading Green Party looks to offer political voice for 'working people' at Press & Sun-Bulletin
Grassroots/Low-income/People of Color-led
Hurricane Katrina Relief
Where to donate to organizations who are:
* Organizing at the grassroots level in New Orleans, Biloxi, Houston
and other affected areas
* Providing immediate disaster relief to poor people and people of color
* Directed by, or accountable to, poor people and people of color
* Fostering the democratic inclusion of poor people and people of color in
the rebuilding process
This list is gathered from organizations and community organizers around
the country. The Sparkplug Foundation has not verified the information,
nor can
we provide any details about these groups; please do not call us to inquire.
Election
results
Green Party Candidates
Kimberly Wilder for State Senate, 4th SD
Go to her web site: votewilder.com or write to: votewilder@yahoo.com for more information.
The Long Island Press had a COVER STORY on the difficulty of defeating NY State Legislature incumbents, their unfair advantages, and the injustice of the state legislators/incumbents writing the rules for their own elections.
The author talks about Kimberly's efforts, and mentions Green candidate Rachel Treichler. See here
David McReynolds for US Senator from NY
His campaign web site is mcreynoldsforsenate.org.
6/29/04
6/28/2004
US Green Party refuses to back Nader for president
26 Jun 2004 21:22:01 GMT By John Rondy
MILWAUKEE, Wis., June 26 (Reuters ) - The Green Party on Saturday
refused to back Ralph Nader in his independent run for the White
House, a move that could reduce his chances of being a factor in
this year's election.
Delegates to the half-million-member party's presidential convention
voted to nominate party activist David Cobb, a California lawyer
who led the delegate count going into the meeting.
On the second round of voting, Cobb captured 408 delegates, more
than the 385 needed to gain the nomination.
"
What you have here before you are working class people who have
demonstrated that it is possible to build a political party on
principles and values -- without corporate money and without selling
out," he told a lively crowd after he won the nomination.
"
Ralph Nader has had more influence on my life than anyone who is
not a direct relative. I am a lawyer because of Ralph Nader. Without
Ralph Nader, this nomination wouldn't have happened," Cobb
added.
Nader had not sought the party's nomination but said he would have
accepted either that or an endorsement as a possible route to getting
on the ballot in 22 states and the District of Columbia. The party
earned those ballot positions as a result of its showing in 2000
when Nader headed its ticket.
The consumer rights advocate just days ago chose veteran Green
Party politician Peter Camejo as his vice presidential running
mate in an attempt to attract support from the party.
As an independent, Nader has been trying to consolidate support
from third parties as well as disaffected Democrats and Republicans.
He had already been endorsed by the Reform Party, giving him potential
access to ballots in seven states where it won access.
Losing the Green Party's support could make it all the more difficult
for him to get on the ballot in every state. He has been trying
to round up signatures in as many states as possible and Democrats
have indicated they will scrutinize those efforts and challenge
them when validity questions arise.
In choosing Cobb, the Greens picked a candidate who spent the last
eight years visiting 40 states, working at the grass-roots level
to build ties between environmental and labor movements.
As the Green candidate in 2000, Nader drew 2.7 percent of the popular
vote, but Democrats saw him as a spoiler who sapped strength from
former Vice President Al Gore in battleground states, including
Florida, where Nader drew 97,488 votes.
Gore won the popular vote nationally but lost the weighted electoral
college vote -- and the election -- to President George W. Bush,
losing Florida by 537 contested votes.
3/21/2004
Terror Alert Banana
3/6/2004
APRIL 7, 2004 7PM • Babylon Green Party
Windmills on L.I.
Adrienne Esposito is a co-founder of Citizens Campaign for the Environment
(CCE). CCE lobbies on pesticide elimination, West Nile Virus, groundwater
protection and clean up, land preservation, estuary protection, Brookhaven
National Lab clean-up. She will speak about CCE's renewable energy campaigns
around NY and the proposed south shore wind turbines.
wmblake7@yahoo.com 631-422-4702
11 Edmunton Pl, #E6, North Babylon, N.Y. 11703
Directions: Take Exit 40 (Rte 231) Sunrise Highway to the service road. But
take the Deer Park Ave (not Rte 231) exit North. Edmunton Drive is an immediate
right turn by the Fairfield COMMONS Co-ops sign. Entrance to # 11 is inside
the courtyard. We are upstairs on the right.
3/5/2004
Bush Ad
Remix
Video repsonce to Bush's new ad
2/27/2004
Green Jason West, Mayor of New Paltz NY "I'll marry gay couples."
New Paltz - Mayor Jason West said yesterday that he will make this small mid-Hudson village the first New York community to marry same-sex couples, bringing home the raging national debate over gay marriages. "The state constitution requires equal protection under the law," West said in an interview last night....
2/3/2004
The Green Party in New York State voted at its Jan. 31 meeting to forward a proposal to the Green Party of the US that calls for it to "commit itself to an aggressive run for President of the US in the year 2004...." The full text of the proposal is:
[Background]
Given that confusion over the Green Party of the US’s strategy for running
a candidate for president in 2004 has hurt the Green Party, its relation’s
with candidates and potential candidates, and caused confusion among Greens
nationwide; and Given that the longer this confusion continues the more the
situation causes harm to Green Parties at all levels in this country; therefore
[Proposal]
The Green Party of the United States shall commit itself to an aggressive run
for President of the US in the year 2004 including, but not limited to: campaigning
in all areas of the country; releasing to the press notices that the Green
Party strategy will be to campaign actively and completely throughout the
country; the spending of time, money, and other resources appropriate to
such an active campaign and at least comparable to those resources spent
by the Green Party in the last presidential election; the encouragement of
member states to include an active and complete campaign for the Green Party
nominee for president in their efforts for candidates in 2004; and the special
support of presidential campaigning in those states that depend on the results
of the presidential election to gain or keep ballot status. Notice of the
passing of this proposal and its implications shall be made generally known
to the Green state parties, the press, and all Greens and the general public
via web site and other usual means of GP-US communications.
1/22/2004
What's Black,
Green and Not Yet Over?
Donna Warren wants African-American voters to defect
from the Democrats. LINK Donna
Warren's web site. LINK
1/8/2004
www.newsforgreens.com is a web site that has a collection of news stories, commentary, video, audio, and other items of interest to Greens. Entries currently include George W Bush - Fully Posable G.I. Joke action figure and The Next War by Doug Ireland.
1/4/2004
The new Greens for Greens web site is at www.greenforgreens.org. This site is for Greens that are interested in building the Green Party, offer true political alternatives, and most importantly work for real social change by advocating that the Green Party work as a Green Party and run and support Green candidates for office - candidates that support the Green Party, and will run active and complete campaigns from local boards to president of the U.S.
1/2/2004
Thanks for the Memories Saddam Hussein. Flash movie on our man Saddam. See also next entry.
12/16/2003
Donald Rumsfeld -Reagan's Envoy-
provided Iraq with
chemical & biological weapons
Arming
Iraq and the Path to War By: John King
12/9/03
Turning
the Green Party Black in 2003. The Greens aren’t just
a bunch of Chardonnay-swilling tree-hugging white liberals.
We have the policies to reach out to black voters, but we still
need to do more.
By Donna J. Warren with Jonathan David Farley, D.Phil.
12/6/03
Should the Democratic Party Nominate a Presidential Candidate in 2004? Discussions of the 2004 presidential race often leave out the very important question of whether or not it would be in the best interest of progressive movements for the Democratic Party to run someone for president. I believe that the Democratic Party should stand down in 2004. Here are 10 reasons why. By Don Fitz
11/22/03
Statement of Kent P. Mesplay, Ph.D., Green Party Presidential Candidate. "Democratic Disobedience...protest by registering Green."
11/11/03
Find out about the Green candidates for US president. At the GP-US web site, and Politics1.com.
"A Democrat might beat Bush, but no Democrat is going to beat Bushism...." -Howie Hawkins, Syracuse Greens
"I think the Democrats should just drop out of the presidential election," - New Mexico Green and Green Presidential candidate Carol Miller
11/10/03
10/20/03
An Events Calendar has been added for items of interest to Greens. Click on the "Calendar" link in the navigation bar at the top of the page. If you have an event of interest, please email it to calendar@gpsuffolk.org.
10/12/03
10/10/03
For a list of declared and potential Green Party presidential candidates for 2004, go to Politics1.com . "I think the Democrats should just drop out of the presidential election," - New Mexico Green and Green Presidential candidate Carol Miller
9/1/03
The Democrat Party headed by Chair Rich Schaffer and party designate Steve Levy has challenged with the Board of Elections and in court the designation of John Keenan for Suffolk County Executive. They wish to negate many people's hard work and beat John with lawyers rather than at the voting booth. They are also attacking Jordan Wilson, the first African-American candidate for County Executive who is running on the Liberal line.
Update:
In a blow to democracy, ballot access, and diversity, Democratic candidate for county executive Steve Levy's campaign has succeeded in removing Green Party candidate John Keenan from the ballot for this Fall's election. Using thousands of dollars, a gaggle of lawyers, county patronage employees, the complicity of the Board of Elections, and a complete lack of ethics, Levy decided to substitute back room action for an open election, power and money for public voting rights.
The Green Party filed a number of signatures far in excess of the number required to get John Keenan on the ballot. Unfortunately challenging a signature requires little more that checking a box and submitting a form. On the face of it most of the challenges were clearly false. However, the amount of money, time, and people-power needed to prove a signature valid in court exceeds the resources of a smaller volunteer party with no connections at the BOE. Though many hours and dollars have been expended so far, with the short deadline for filing, the unfairness of the election laws, and the refusal of the BOE to provide the needed materials, the Green Party and John therefore have decided to discontinue efforts to reverse the decision to remove John from the ballot.
Keenan to press on. John Keenan will remain a candidate for Suffolk County Executive. Obviously not being on the ballot will lessen his resources and access, but he still needs your vote! (For information on how to write-in a vote, click here.) It is important to stand up for the Green Party's right to the ballot, and stand against those that wish to win office not by winning votes but by backroom actions and legal maneuverings. Please spread the word about John Keenan's Green candidacy. John's web site is at www.keen2003.com.
For more information on the actions by Levy and the Democrats that removed John Keenan along with Liberal Party candidate Jordan Wilson from the ballot, go to www.defeatlevy.com.
8/17/03
John Keenan files petitions
to be the Green Party candidate for Suffolk County Executive. John
is 42 years old and the father of two children. He has been a New York
City firefighter since 1989, now holding the rank of Lieutenant. He
is assigned to downtown Manhattan.
John began his involvement with the Green Party in the summer of 2000
by volunteering with Ralph Nader's presidential campaign. It was then
that he joined with the Greens of Suffolk County, and has been working
with them in their efforts to spread the message of Green values.
In November 2001, John made a run for local office in the Town of Islip
as a councilperson, and in 2002 he ran for Congress. Referring to John's
congressional run, Michelle Goldberg writing in salon.com said "the
Green Party got lucky with John Keenan, its candidate for the 2nd Congressional
District on Long Island."
7/15/03
Greg Palast BBC Video "Bush
Family Fortunes."
(Realplayer required)
6/7/03
John Keenan of Islip is selected to be the Green Party candidate for Suffolk County Executive. John ran previously for Congress and worked on the campaign of Ralph Nader and is active in the Suffolk Green Party.
5/30/03
Today, U.S. District Judge John Gleeson issued a preliminary injunction in Green Party of NYS v. NYS Board of Elections. The Courts ordered requires New York State to revise its voter registration application to allow voters to continue to register in the Green Party through at least the 2006 gubernatorial election, and requires county boards of election to maintain and record new voters Green Party affiliation preference. [More]
5/12/03
Ralph Nader on CSPAN discusses corporate scandals, the war with Iraq, tax cuts, the Democratic candidates for President, more. One hour. (Realplayer required)
5/07/03
Greens elected in New Paltz. In a stunning political upset, a former SUNY New Paltz student was elected village mayor last night by a large margin. Twenty-six-year-old Jason West handily beat the 16-year incumbent Mayor. Julia Walsh and Rebecca Rotzler, who ran with West on the Green Party ticket, also won seats on the Village Board, giving them a new majority.
Green Party election results nationwide.
5/03/03
Green Party members tabling at Heckscher
Park Spring Festival.
4/28/03
The Green Party of Suffolk Online Forum is open. A web based forum that allow for in depth ongoing discussions with message archiving and topics for every Green issue. Click on the "Forum" link in the menu at the top of the page to join.
4/19/03
Conspiracy
Theory Rock "Media-Opoly"
(RealPlayer file - Broadband)
4/18/03
A movie from 1946, it measures how a society ranks on a spectrum stretching from democracy to despotism. Explains how societies and nations can be measured by the degree that power is concentrated and respect for the individual is restricted. Where does your community, state and nation stand on these scales?
Watch movie (RealPlayer required)
Broadband
(256k) Modem
(64kb)
4/12/03
This map illustrates the local consequences of global warming. The map of early warning signs clearly illustrates the global nature of climate changes. In its 2001 assessment, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that, “an increasing body of observations gives a collective picture of a warming world and other changes in the climate system." Click on the map to go to an interactive version at www.climatehotmap.org.
4/09/03
New Statement from RAN on Citigroup
4/04/03
A number of Suffolk Greens attended Peace Demo in Happauge today.
Green Timothy Snyder
4/01/03
Ten Key Values of the Green Party link added above. (Page also contains quotes.)
3/28/03
Video clip of Tony Blair and George Bush singing a
love duet
3/27/03
Iraq Body Count Web site: www.iraqbodycount.net
NO.IRAQ.WAR: Info: www.diyr.com/lipeace
3/26/03
Video BOOM!
by
System of a Down: systemofadown.com
3/22/03
Greens march against
war in NYC
(Click the photo for more photos)
3/17/03
With the aggressive war stance of the current government
and the continuing attacks on the biosphere, the Green Party is needed more than
ever.
The progressive community needs to be strong and work in many ways
to fight
for peace and justice for all life and to protect the planet, and
the Green Party is the only party that is founded on those beliefs.
The Green Party is the largest worldwide political
movement, and the fastest growing political party in the US. The Green Party
is
the only
party in Suffolk to run peace candidates and to address biotic
rights. A Suffolk Green campaigning on these issues out polled almost every
major party challenger in state legislative races on LI last fall.
We need to keep growing and continue our
good work. Please contact us with
input or questions.
3/09/03
Stephan Smith song and video, "The Bell" called "the anti-war anthem for our generation" is available at www.stephansmith.com. A letter from Pete Seger, who performs on the EP version, and information about radio play is also available on the site.
John Mellencamp's anti-war (and anti Bush) song can be downloaded at www.mellencamp.com.
2/15/03
Suffolk Green join with Greens from the north and east US (and hundreds of thousands of others) in NYC to demand no war. For more photos click on the photo below.
1/23/03
Items
with the Green Party of Suffolk logo are available here 
.
All profits from
the sale of these items go to the Green Party of Suffolk County. Since
we only get a percentage of the cost of these items, please consider a separate
donation to the Green Party of Suffolk County. [Contributions]
BRENNAN CENTER STATEMENT ON
DECISION IN GREEN PARTY OF NYS V. NYS BOARD OF ELECTIONS
Court Affirms Voters Right to Register in Green
Party through 2006 Election Court Finds New Yorks Voter Enrollment Scheme Places
the Most Severe
Restriction on Enrollment for Parties not Entitled to Their Own Primary
of any State.
Today, U.S. District Judge John Gleeson issued a preliminary injunction in Green
Party of NYS v. NYS Board of Elections. The Courts ordered requires New York
State to revise its voter registration application to allow voters to continue
to register in the Green Party through at least the 2006 gubernatorial election,
and requires county boards of election to maintain and record new voters Green
Party affiliation preference. The Brennan Center, counsel for the Green Party
of New York State and several of its members, filed the suit in December to preserve
the right of party members to officially enroll as Green Party members, and retain
their party affiliation in registration records, even though the Green Party
lost its ballot status in last years gubernatorial election. This ruling is a
major victory for the voters of New York State. Other courts have struck down
as unconstitutional New York laws designed to limit the ability of insurgent
candidates and parties to get on the ballot and thereby severely limit voters
choices. Similarly, the Court here found that New Yorks voter enrollment scheme
places the most severe restriction on voters of any of the states in the country
that do not allow open primaries. This decision gives New Yorkers what residents
of many states already have, namely the right to enroll not just in the major
parties, but also in the Green Party, an organized party with a track record
of significant support and activities. The decision vindicates voters rights
under the First Amendment to associate as members of a party and express their
voices fully and equally, and the rights of minor parties to organize and build
support on a level playing field with the major parties, said Jeremy Creelan,
associate counsel at the Brennan Center and the attorney for the plaintiffs.
If the court had not intervened, the party affiliation status of these voters
would have been switched to blank and new registrants would not have been allowed
to register as a Green Party member on the registration application. State law
required the Board to decertify the Greens as a political party because its gubernatorial
candidate, Stanley Aronowitz, failed to receive at least 50,000 votes. The Greens
sought the injunction to block two critical corollaries to the Greens loss of
official party status, namely the purging of existing voter enrollment information
from county board of elections records and the loss of the right to enroll voters
as Green Party members upon registration. If the State no longer registered voters
as members of the Green Party, the Party would have lost a crucial tool for effective
outreach and organizing, and voters would have lost their opportunity to express
their political views through identification with a particular party and its
platformconstitutional rights protected by the First and Fourteenth Amendments.
The Courts decision also encourages the New York State Board of Elections and
the Legislature to consider broader changes to the states voter enrollment scheme
to allow voters to enroll not just in the Green Party, but in any party that
has shown a sufficient modicum of past support by, for example, successfully
placing a candidate on the ballot in the most recent statewide election. Such
changes would further vindicate voters rights to express themselves through party
enrollment and parties rights to use voter registration to organize and build
their membership and support.
1/16/03
A federal judge extended a temporary restraining order Thursday [1/16/03] barring the state from voiding any voter registrations for the Green Party and ordering it to allow new members to enroll. U.S. District Judge John Gleeson asked the party and the state Board of Elections to submit briefs on several issues by Jan. 30 and said he would issue a ruling in the case soon after, according to Jeremy Creelan, the lead attorney for the Green Party.
12/10/02
The Green Party won a Temporary Restraining Order against the New York State Board of Elections today in federal district court in Brooklyn. The Board of Elections was barred from deleting any voters as Greens until at least the next hearing in the federal District Court in Brooklyn on January 16th. Voters can also continue to enroll in the Green Party. More than 30,000 New Yorkers are presently enrolled in the Green Party.
The order was issued by Judge John Gleeson after hearing oral arguments from the Green Party, and the NYS and NYC Boards of Elections. The Green Party was represented by Jeremy Creelan of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University. TROs are issued only if the judge believes that the plaintiffs have a strong change on ultimately winning the lawsuit. "We are pleased that the court has recognized that supporters of the green principles of democracy, justice, nonviolence and ecology have a right to join together in a political party. It is critical that a time when the Republicans and Democrats have banded together to promote war, tax cuts for the wealthy, and corporate welfare, that voters have the right to express support for an alternative such as the Green Party," stated Mark Dunlea, Chairperson of the Green Party of New York State.
The New York State Board of Elections determined that the Green party
received less than 50,000 vote for it candidate for governor. Any party
that receives less than 50,000 votes for Governor loses the right to
be treated as a political party under the state election law. The Green
candidate for Attorney General, one of their statewide candidates
in this election, exceeded the 50,000 vote total. Ralph Nader, their
Presidential candidate, received more than 244,000 votes in New York
State two years ago.The present lawsuit deals with the right of voters
to enroll in the green party. It does not deal with the issue of whether
the state has the right to decertify the greens as a political party
and require it to collect far more signatures in order to run candidates
for office.
The Green Party of New York State is recognized as a political party by the Federal Election Commission. The Green Party of the United States was recently granted status as the national committee of a political party by the FEC.
Nationally, the Green Party had its best showing ever in the recent elections,
electing 70 officials to public offices around the country. The number
of elected Greens now stands at 172. The party won its second state
legislative seat, in Maine, and won its first victories in Texas, Nebraska
and Iowa. Many Green candidates for state legislative office recorded
vote totals of more than 20- 30%, and in the double digits in races
with both Democrats and Republicans. Green candidate AnnDrea Benson
in Pennsylvania's 3rd Congressional District won 22%, the best yet
for a Green in a House race.
A copy of the lawsuit is available at www.brennancenter.org.
What this means:
• The Green Party of Suffolk will
continue to exist. When Green candidates run, the number of signatures
we will need to get them on the ballot will increase, however signatures
can be gathered from any registered voter. We will still have a countywide
organization in Suffolk (the Green Party of Suffolk) to promote Green
candidates and Green values, and help Greens running for office.
• If we do not prevail in the lawsuit, your
party
enrollment
will
change from Green to "blank." (Blank means not enrolled in any party.)
You can still work with the Green Party and still identify as a Green. (NOTE:
this
has
not happened, and may not happen depending
on the outcome of the lawsuit mentioned above.)
• The Green Party in New York will
continue. The GP in NY existed as an organization before receiving automatic
ballot status. The designation of statewide candidates (including president)
will change from a nomination meeting to the gathering of signatures
on petitions, but we will still be able to field Green candidates.
Obviously this make some activities harder
for the GP. We will have more work to do for candidates to get them on
the ballot for instance, but it does not mean the end of the GP. We will
still have access to the ballot, we will just not be automatically on
it. As many of you that have worked on issues over the years know, there
are always set backs and roadblocks. Even if we climb two steps up and
slid one step down we will eventually make it over the mountain.
If you have any questions, please contact
me. I will post more information, when
I have it.
Roger Snyder, Chair, Green Party of Suffolk County
