The Green Party made some big new moves and proved that it has earned the voter’s support in Tuesday’s local elections.Greens in California made history again by winning, for the fourth time in American history, a majority on a town council. Pam Hartwell-Herrero finished first of seven candidates to join Lew Treamine and Larry Bragman on the majority-Green Fairfax Town Council. Greens also earned majorities on the Arcata, CA council in the late 90s and in Sebastopol, CA and the village of New Paltz, NY earlier in this decade.In Minnesota, incumbent Minneapolis City Council Cam Gordon was re-elected, as well as long-time Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board member Annie Young.Greens on the East Coast showed their skills with perfect election nights. Two candidates ran for city councils in Maryland and both were victorious. Dan Robinson maintained his seat on the Takoma Park, MD council and Christine Nagle won her election to the College Park, MD council. In New Caanan, CT, three Greens ran for Constable and all were elected.Elsewhere in new England, Kevin Donoghue and David Marshall won re-election to the Portland (ME) City Council. Chuck Turner was re-elected to the Boston City Council.In New York, in a partisan race, Mary Jo Long was re-elected to the Afton Town Council and Jennifer Dotson was re-elected to the Ithaca Common Council. Lynne Serpe put the Green Party on the map in New York City, winning nearly 25% in her race for New York City Council.To see more 2009 election results, visit http://www.gp.org/elections/2009-videos/november-results.html. To get a sneak preview of the 2010 Green Party candidates from your area, visit the Green Party’s comprehensive election database at http://www.gp.org/elections.shtml.
New On-Line Issue of Green Pages AvailableGreen Pages, the national newsletter of the Green Party, is releasing new content regularly through our on-line edition. Check out the Fall 2009 edition here. For your convenience we’ve listed all the articles below.If you would like a full edition to hand out to new members or at local tabling events, the Summer 2009 edition is still available for sale in our online store. Most of this edition was written to stay relevant for the rest of the year, so order today!
—–Features Presidential candidate, Cynthia McKinney detained by Israel Humanitarian aid envoy to Gaza seizedby Lewis Pollis, Green Party of Ohio, with contributions from Wendy Kenin, Green Party of California
A Florida Green’s charges dropped after a vigil for activist injured in Palestine Confronting the G20 Green activists speak out at summit and are met with police violenceby e b bortz, Pennsylvania Green Party
Nationwide protests calling for an end to the wars in mid-October Reversing the illusion of changeGreen Party of Connecticut wins lawsuit against Clean Elections Lawby Mike DeRosa, co-chair of the Green Party of Connecticut
Convention in Durham develops priorities for the partyby Deyva Arthur, Green Party of New York State
Taking the lead in green trendsA look a four who live following the Green Party platformby Wendy Kenin, Green Party of California
—–Elections Green Party of Arkansas Sues to Keep Ballot Status The all-year pursuit of Ballot AccessStates efforts to gain ballot access across the countryfrom the National Office of the Green Party of the United States
Greens run for several offices simultaneously in Stamford, ConnecticutHoping to enable political viability with multi-pronged approachby Rolf Maurer, Connecticut Green Party and Stamford Mayoral and Constable candidate
Why they keep on winningIngredients for the success of Green incumbent: Cam Gordon and Alan Brisonby David McCorquodale, Green Party of Delaware and Elections Editor
Illinois Greens criticize a bill to eliminate “slating” —–World Mixed results in German Federal Electionby Phil Hill, Bündnis ‘90/Die Grünen
Green Party UK co-founder Teddy Goldsmith passes at 80by Mike Feinstein, member, International Committee of the Green Party of the United States
Canadian Green Party Leader Elizabeth May to run in British Columbiaby Camille Labchuk, Federal Councillor and former Press Secretary, Green Party of Canada
Government interferes with establishment of Green Party in Rwandaby Mike Feinstein, member, International Committee of the Green Party of the United States
Greens of the Americas meet in Chile - impressions of US Greensby Michael Canney, Green Party of the United States delegate to the Federation of the Green Parties of the Americas and Sanda Everette, Co-Chair, Green Party of the United States
—–Opinion Playing HardballHow to be effective in Politicsby Brent McMillan, Executive Director of the Green Party of the United States
Health care reform: congress needs to protect Americans, not insurance companiesby Mark Dunlea, Green Party of New York State
Reasons For A Private National Health System - we get to stay sickby John Jonik
Green Party USA, Yer Blowing It!!by Philip A Farruggio, Green Party of Florida
Climate Change: The only news that mattersby Joseph Lampert
Markey-Waxman climate bill fatally flawedby Maggie Zhou and Jill Stein, The Green Rainbow Party of Massachusetts
Is the United States Really a Democracy?by Tha Truth, Green Party of New Jersey
Open Borders - The Other Side of the Coinby Don Whitehead, Independent Affiliate of the Tennessee Green Party (Nashville)
—–Evergreen
The Colors of GreenA Green Pages interview with Lisa Hsu of the Green Party of California
When the rivers run dryA review of Pearce’s assessment of the world’s water resourcesby Barbara Rodgers-Hendricks, Green Party of Florida
Thanksgiving: a poemby Steve Bloom, Green Party of New York State
—–Young Greens Staying strong against Obama peer pressureby Lewis Pollis, Ohio Green Party
—–Reports
From Norman Soloman’s piece:
But the House Democratic leadership has not been content to serve up a grimly pathetic “healthcare reform” bill. Speaker Pelosi has used her political leverage to quash Congressman Dennis Kucinich’s amendment — approved months ago by the Education and Labor Committee — that would grant waivers so that states could create their own single-payer system. Pelosi removed the Kucinich amendment from the House bill.
The California legislature has twice passed a strong single-payer bill, both times vetoed by the state’s current execrable governor. The official position of the California Democratic Party is unequivocally in favor of single-payer healthcare. And yet Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, did what she could to sabotage the single-payer position of her own party in her own state.
On his website, Congressperson Kucinich released the following statement:
Washington, Nov 7 -
After voting against H.R. 3962 - Affordable Health Care for America Act, Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today made the following statement:“We have been led to believe that we must make our health care choices only within the current structure of a predatory, for-profit insurance system which makes money not providing health care. We cannot fault the insurance companies for being what they are. But we can fault legislation in which the government incentivizes the perpetuation, indeed the strengthening, of the for-profit health insurance industry, the very source of the problem. When health insurance companies deny care or raise premiums, co-pays and deductibles they are simply trying to make a profit. That is our system.“Clearly, the insurance companies are the problem, not the solution. They are driving up the cost of health care. Because their massive bureaucracy avoids paying bills so effectively, they force hospitals and doctors to hire their own bureaucracy to fight the insurance companies to avoid getting stuck with an unfair share of the bills. The result is that since 1970, the number of physicians has increased by less than 200% while the number of administrators has increased by 3000%. It is no wonder that 31 cents of every health care dollar goes to administrative costs, not toward providing care. Even those with insurance are at risk. The single biggest cause of bankruptcies in the U.S. is health insurance policies that do not cover you when you get sick.“But instead of working toward the elimination of for-profit insurance, H.R. 3962 would put the government in the role of accelerating the privatization of health care. In H.R. 3962, the government is requiring at least 21 million Americans to buy private health insurance from the very industry that causes costs to be so high, which will result in at least $70 billion in new annual revenue, much of which is coming from taxpayers. This inevitably will lead to even more costs, more subsidies, and higher profits for insurance companies — a bailout under a blue cross.“By incurring only a new requirement to cover pre-existing conditions, a weakened public option, and a few other important but limited concessions, the health insurance companies are getting quite a deal. The Center for American Progress’ blog, Think Progress, states “since the President signaled that he is backing away from the public option, health insurance stocks have been on the rise.” Similarly, healthcare stocks rallied when Senator Max Baucus introduced a bill without a public option. Bloomberg reports that Curtis Lane, a prominent health industry investor, predicted a few weeks ago that “money will start flowing in again” to health insurance stocks after passage of the legislation. Investors.com last month reported that pharmacy benefit managers share prices are hitting all-time highs, with the only industry worry that the Administration would reverse its decision not to negotiate Medicare Part D drug prices, leaving in place a Bush Administration policy.“During the debate, when the interests of insurance companies would have been effectively challenged, that challenge was turned back. The “robust public option” which would have offered a modicum of competition to a monopolistic industry was whittled down from an initial potential enrollment of 129 million Americans to 6 million. An amendment which would have protected the rights of states to pursue single-payer health care was stripped from the bill at the request of the Administration. Looking ahead, we cringe at the prospect of even greater favors for insurance companies.“Recent rises in unemployment indicate a widening separation between the finance economy and the real economy. The finance economy considers the health of Wall Street, rising corporate profits, and banks’ hoarding of cash, much of it from taxpayers, as sign of an economic recovery. However in the real economy — in which most Americans live — the recession is not over. Rising unemployment, business failures, bankruptcies and foreclosures are still hammering Main Street.“This health care bill continues the redistribution of wealth to Wall Street at the expense of America’s manufacturing and service economies which suffer from costs other countries do not have to bear, especially the cost of health care. America continues to stand out among all industrialized nations for its privatized health care system. As a result, we are less competitive in steel, automotive, aerospace and shipping while other countries subsidize their exports in these areas through socializing the cost of health care.“Notwithstanding the fate of H.R. 3962, America will someday come to recognize the broad social and economic benefits of a not-for-profit, single-payer health care system, which is good for the American people and good for America’s businesses, with of course the notable exceptions being insurance and pharmaceuticals.”# # #