News:

3/09/03

     Stephan Smith song and video, "The Bell" called "the anti-war anthem for our generation" is avaible 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]

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

Web sites:
Babylon Greens
West Suffolk Greens
GP in NYS
Green Party US
Greens/GPUSA
GP Worldwide

Email:
GP of Suffolk

Click here for 2002 Candidate's Pictures

Contributions:

Please send contributions to: "Green Party of Suffolk," 14 Robin Drive, Huntington, NY 11743. Please include your name, address, occupation, and employer. This information is needed to comply with election law. Contributions are not tax deductible.