Elections / Legislation

TAKE ACTION: Contact the White House NOW by phone 202-456-1111, by fax 202-456-2461, and by email comments [at] whitehouse.gov and ask the President to veto S. 2370, the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act. Tell the President that the United States should not be sanctioning people for exercising their right to vote.

The 2006 Elections are over and the Peace and Freedom Party has plans to push forward with an agenda that will meet the needs of working class people across the nation. The Mid-Term Elections provided an indication of the great unrest and dissatisfaction that people nationwide have with America’s present leadership. Americans appear to be riding the fence between the Republican and Democratic Parties, and voters are uncertain about landing on either side of the fence.

Dutch voters were fed up with both the ruling Christian Democrat (CDA) government led by Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenede as well as the powerful Labor Party (PvdA) and Liberal Party (VVD). All three parties have carried out the policies of austerity and privatization that are components of the drive for higher corporate profit as well as integration into the capitalist European Union.

Included in the December monthly meeting of the Green Party of Monroe County will be the opportunity for registered Greens to be nominated to run for party officer positions for 2007.

The Green Party of Monroe County is inviting all interested citizens to host a screening of the movie American Blackout.

[Here's a translation of the latest article from the Venezuelan Trotskyists. It is of special interest in the United States, where the left entirely capitulates to the Bolivarian popular front headed by Hugo Chávez, thinking that their blind endorsement of class collaboration is some kind of "solidarity." Solidarity with whom? With what class?]

Hawkins for US Senate
Media Release
http://www.hawkinsforsenate.org/

May 20, 2006
For More Information: Sally Kim, (518) 364-2968, green_sallyk@yahoo.com
Howie Hawkins 315-425-1019, hhawkins@igc.org

Hawkins Wins Green Nomination for US Senate vs. Clinton

Malachy McCourt Wins Nomination for Governor

Peace, Global Warming, Health Care Top Green Election Agenda

(Albany) Longtime peace activist Howie Hawkins easily won the Green Party nomination Saturday afternoon to face Hillary Clinton in the race for Senate.

The Green Party launched its effort to reclaim official ballot status in New York State by nominating author and Irish activist Malachy McCourt for Governor. McCourt, winning in a landslide, is widely viewed as having the name recognition and public support needed to get over the 50,000 votes need for Governor.

Also nominated for statewide office was labor and lesbian activist Allison Duncan; attorney Rachel Treichler, a former Green Party Congressional candidate, for Attorney General; and, former New York City Mayoral candidate Julia Willebrand for Comptroller

Hawkins will challenge Clinton over the war in Iraq. The Greens support bringing the troops home immediately and believe that President Bush should be impeached for lying to the country about the reasons for the illegal invasion. "We have to stop going to war for oil," stated Hawkins.

In Iran, Hawkins supports diplomacy rather than military confrontation. Hawkins supports the nuclear disarmament of all countries.

Hawkins, a member of the Teamsters Union, won 12,616 votes among Green Party State Committee members, which is weighted based on the prior Gubernatorial election results. Sandor Hicks, a 9/11 Truth Activist, won 2,778 votes. Steve Greenfield, a New Paltz resident, finished third with 2,752 votes.

Hawkins and the Greens will challenge the two major parties, including both Bill and Hillary Clinton, for failing to respond to the growing threat posed by global warming. Hawkins supports major investments in energy conservation and efficiency, as well as an investment in renewable energy sources such as solar and technology. The Greens believe such investments will produce much needed job creation, especially in upstate New York.

Other key green issues in the 2006 election include abolition of the death penalty, same-sex marriage, reproductive freedom, living wage jobs, immigration rights, mass transit and agriculture sustainability. The Greens support the shutdown of nuclear power plants, starting with Indian Point.

Hawkins supports shifting more of the tax burden at the state and federal level to the wealthiest taxpayers and polluters rather than low and moderate income Americans. Hawkins opposed the recent Congressional vote for a $70 billion tax cut package that overwhelmingly favored the rich. Hawkins believes that a fairer tax system would allow for increased state and federal funding of schools, reducing the burden on local property taxpayers.

"Every politician tells you that they want to cut taxes. What they don't tell you is that they want to cut taxes for the rich while cutting essential services and shifting more of the tax burden onto working families," added Hawkins.

While the Greens failed to retain ballot status in 2002 when Stanley Aronowitz fell eight thousand votes short (41,797) of the 50,000 mark, they successfully sued in federal court to retain the right to enroll as Greens. 36,141 New Yorkers are presently enrolled Greens. The Greens will need to collect 15,000 signatures from registered voters (of any party) to get on the ballot this fall.

On the Electoral College, continued

take a Stand by Signing the Voters Pledge!