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Green
Party Candidate Gloria Mattera Makes Brooklyn History
Representatives of Gloria Mattera's Green
Party Campaign for Brooklyn Borough President announced that
contributions to the campaign have exceeded the threshold for 4
to 1 matching funds from New York City's Campaign Finance
program.
"I am proud to
be the first Green Party candidate eligible for matching funds
for this office," said Mattera. "This demonstrates
tremendous support for our campaign from city residents who are
tired of watching [the incumbent] Marty Markowitz act as a
doormat for Bruce Ratner and other developers who want to take
over our city. The Campaign Finance Program levels the playing
field for candidates such as myself who do not accept corporate
campaign contributions, and is a wonderful tool in support of
grass roots democracy."
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Mattera and
other Brooklyn Greens have been working with local
activists in the Don’t Destroy Brooklyn Coalition
to head off an attempt by billionaire developer Bruce
Ratner to seize homes and businesses to build a sports
arena and luxury condominiums. Mattera is challenging
the plan and has publicly exposed the secret sweetheart
deals between current president, Markowitz and Ratner.
Mattera calls for a moratorium on big scale development
of high rises and big box stores until developers agree
to involve the community in decision-making and commit
to maintaining the integrity of existing neighborhoods.
To qualify,
program participants running for Brooklyn Borough
President must receive a total of $49,307 from at least
100 eligible contributors with a maximum amount of $250
applying toward matching funds, which will be at least
$200,000 for the Mattera Campaign.
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NY Green Robyn Sklar
running for New York City Council in Queens also qualified
matching funds of apx. $27,000 – a first for a Green
running in NY. For more information on the Mattera
campaign http://www.electgloria.org/
Greens
Pay Tribute to Rosa Parks
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We mourn the passing of Rosa Parks,
and encourage Americans to recognize that the struggle
for human rights and freedoms -- of which Ms. Parks
remains a towering symbol -- is far from over.
"The best way to remember Rosa Parks' courage in
1955 is to rededicate ourselves to civil rights in
2005," said Rick Tingling-Clemmons, Black Caucus
delegate to the National Committee of the Green Party of
the United States. "Ms. Parks' act of civil
disobedience on a bus led to passage of the 1964 Civil
Rights Act, which enforced the 14th Amendment's
guarantee of equal protection under the law. The
obstruction and manipulation of votes in the 2000 and
2004 elections -- especially African American votes --
demonstrate that the civil rights movement isn't over,
that we're still fighting for the right to vote for all
Americans."
To read the entire press release go to: http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2005_10_26.shtml
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Voters
Choose IRV
According to a new study commissioned by the
San Francisco Board of Supervisors and conducted by San
Francisco State University, voters who have had the opportunity
to use Ranked Choice Voting (RCV), (also called Instant Runoff
Voting, or IRV), prefer it to the old system. 61% of polling
place voters and 77% of absentee voters preferred the system
where the voter can rank candidates according to choice and have
their second or third choice counted if their first or second
choice is eliminated. (If your first choice is for someone who
does not receive a predetermined minimum percentage of votes,
then all those votes are eliminated and your second choice is
then counted and so on.) 46% of voters polled (versus the 3%
with the traditional system) felt with Ranked Choice Voting they
will be more likely to vote for their preferred candidate rather
than choose between the "lesser of two evils". Almost
all of the voters polled (87%) felt that they understood how
Ranked Choice Voting works, indicating that it would be easy to
adapt in other communities. Ross Mirkarimi, a Green Party
member, currently holds office on the San Francisco Board of
Supervisors, the body which commissioned the study.
The complete report is available here:
http://pri.sfsu.ed
u/reports/SFSU-PRI_RCV_final_report_June_30.pdf
Green
Party Vows Support as Elaine Brown Fights Disqualification
WASHINGTON, D.C. --
Green Party leaders pledged support for Elaine Brown, Green
candidate for Mayor of Brunswick, Georgia, after the Glynn
County Board of Elections announced that Ms. Brown was
disqualified from participating in the November 8 election.
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"It's
obvious that Elaine was seen as a significant threat to
powerful wealthy interests who wanted her removed from
the race," said Rev. Zach Lyde, a member of the
Glynn County Green Party. "We believe these same
interests influenced the Glynn County Board of
Elections."
"Elaine
Brown was running a people's campaign, defending
Brunswick's majority African American and poor
population against 'Blueprint Brunswick', a development
plan according to which the city will evict thousands
from their homes, using sweeping powers of eminent
domain," Rev. Lyde added. "This was a
Republican hatchet job against a strong, credible
candidate seen as a viable threat. We will assist in
whatever way we can with Elaine's legal challenge in
Glynn County Superior Court."
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Ms. Brown has
asserted that her residency was sufficiently established by
November 5, 2004, when she registered to vote in Brunswick, in
accord with the one-year residency requirement for a candidate
to appear on the ballot on November 8, 2005. Ms. Brown has cited
a Georgia Supreme Court decision confirming that registration in
time for the election in which a candidate seeks to participate
is sufficient for the purpose of seeking local office.
Green Parties
throughout the U.S. have fought to overturn restrictive ballot
access laws. Greens noted in September, 2004, that while
Democrats attempted to disqualify independent presidential
candidate Ralph Nader in Florida on technicalities, a
'gentlemen's agreement' between Democrats and Republicans
allowed the state of Florida to ignore the fact that George W.
Bush's campaign had missed the September 1 filing deadline to
place Mr. Bush on the ballot. Greens have faced similar double
standards in numerous races
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Ms. Brown challenged
the decision at a Glynn County Superior Court hearing on
Thursday. Supporters of her campaign held a rally before and
after the hearing. A decision is expected on Monday, October 31,
2005.
MORE INFORMATION:
http://www.gp.org/
http://www.greens.org/georgia/
http://www.elainebrown.org
Green Party online shopping just got easier! To Order: online
store.
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