Green Party: Support Public Financing over Corporate Cash!

Dear Green friend,

The Supreme Court just made another ruling allowing unlimited corporate money into state and local elections. The justices had an opportunity to revisit the awful decision they made in Citizens United, but chose corporate greed over democracy for a second time. It’s up to principled parties and candidates, like the Green Party, to voluntarily reject corporate cash.

As the Green Party presidential campaigns roll toward Baltimore, several candidates are working to win public matching funds to support their efforts. If they are able to raise $5,000 in small increments from 20 different states, they will qualify for public financing. That's double the funds available for advertising, ballot access support, and staff to travel the country and promote the Green Party.

One of those candidates, Jill Stein, is approaching this goal and needs a last-minute push to win matching funds. Her campaign has reached the threshold in 13 states and only needs $7,000 more in 7 key states (OH, NC, NM, FL, CO, VA, and CT). When she qualifies for public financing, donations up to $250 from all donors will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the public funds.

Candidates Roseanne Barr and Kent Mesplay are also raising funds on behalf of their campaigns.

Our national convention is just three weeks away! On July 14th in Baltimore, MD, delegates from around the country will gather to nominate the Green Party's 2012 candidate for President of the United States. For many Greens around the country, this may be the only time they get to see the Green Party on their ballot this year. In many states, our Presidential nominee's performance is a critical measure for winning permanent ballot access for all Green candidates. We hope you will join us in this historic nomination.

No matter who wins the nomination next month in Baltimore, we want more candidates speaking out about the Green party and its key role in transforming American politics.

Thank you for your support of the Green Party and all its candidates.

Source: Green Party e-letter

The Green Party welcomes presidential candidates Roseanne Barr and Jill Stein

The Green presidential nominee will be chosen at the party's 2012 convention in Baltimore, Md., July 12-15

 

WASHINGTON, DC -- The Green Party of the United States welcomes two candidates into the race for the 2012 Green presidential nomination, Jill Stein and Roseanne Barr. Ms. Barr and Dr. Stein submitted paperwork to meet the Green Party's requirements as of the evening of the Feb. 1 deadline.

 

"We are thrilled to have two strong women running for President as Greens," said Darryl! Moch, national co-chair of the Green Party. "We look forward to a race based on Green ideas and values, and to showing the Democrats and Republicans how to run without the corrupting influence of fat corporate campaign checks and corporate-funded attack ads."

 

"Anyone hopeful about the Occupy Wall Street's challenge to the status quo or disappointed by the Obama Administration's broken promises of change now has a pair of candidates to watch. Anyone bored or irritated with the Mitt Versus Newt Show by now will be relieved by the breath of fresh air -- maybe a Green gale force of righteousness -- that's about to come," said Tamar Yager, also a national co-chair of the Green Party.

 

For more information about the candidates, visit the following sites:

 

Jill Stein: http://www.jillstein.org

Roseanne Barr: http://www.roseanneforpresident.com

2012 Press Information for Green Candidates http://www.gp.org/candidates/index.php

 

The nominee will be chosen at the Green Party's national convention, July 12-15, in Baltimore, Maryland (http://www.gpconvention2012.com)

 

State Green Parties in California, Arizona, Massachusetts, the District of Columbia, and possibly Ohio are participating in primary elections. Other state Green Parties will choose the nominee they support and apportion delegates during statewide Green conventions. The Green Party currently has ballot access in 17 states. Greens expect to have the presidential nominee and other candidates on the ballot in at least 46 states and the District of Columbia on Election Day 2012.

 

Past Green Party convention sites and nominees:

 

2000: Denver, Colorado; Ralph Nader

2004: Milwaukee, Wisconsin; David Cobb

2008: Chicago, Illinois; Cynthia McKinney

 

"We consider it important to have strong women candidates at a time when women's reproductive rights are under assult, from the Obama Administration's decision on the morning-after pill to the Komen Foundation's withdrawal of funding for breast cancer screening from Planned Parenthood. We're proud that our presidential nominee in 2008 was a woman," said Carl Romanelli, Pennsylvania Green and member of the Green Party's International Committee.

 

132 Greens hold public office in the United States, including five mayors. The largest city with a Green mayor is Richmond, California, with Mayor Gayle McLaughlin. The Green Party and its candidates accept no money from corporate PACs.

 

Many Green candidates are promoting the "Green New Deal" in their campaigns (http://www.greenpartywatch.org/2010/08/11/62-green-candidates-endorse-green-new-deal). Greens have been active participants in the Occupy Movement; both Ms. Barr and Dr. Stein have appeared and spoken publicly at Occupy rallies.

 

For information about the Green Party's positions on important issues, visit the party's press release page (http://www.gp.org/press.php) and platform page (http://www.gp.org/committees/platform/2010/index.php).

 

See also:

 

"The Green Party chooses Baltimore, Md., for the 2012 Green Presidential Nominating Convention," Green Party press release, Dec. 1, 2011

http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=464

 

Green Party Watch: blog with inside news about the Green Party and Green candidates

http://www.greenpartywatch.org