News, Candidates, Information, Events Nationally, Statewide & Locally

Working toward a future where people and planet are valued, and our government represents all of us.

Special Election Edition!   

Our candidates have run outstanding campaigns and we are getting ready for the home stretch.  GreenWave is busy preparing for a strong presence at the polls. Over 50 Greens and Green supporters across the state have RSVP'd to hand out flyers at the polls on election day, and many of those are actually groups of several people.  This has been shown to make a significant difference in Green votes and we are grateful to all who have volunteered. 

If you can help for an hour or more at your own polling place, RSVP now at 

https://www.gpofpa.org/election_day_2018  to get instructions and literature. 

 

Read about our 2018 November Conference with Keynote speaker Steve Grumbine below.

Read our recent statement regarding the recent hate attacks or see more below.

Committee Updates   

Core Report by Kristin Combs & Jason Jackson

The Core Team recently oversaw the successful update to our party rules, using a series of surveys, spread out over a year, to ensure widespread participation.  The process was very successful: The revised document was accepted in its entirety through unanimous approval at the September Virtual Meeting.  The Team is now gearing up for the November meeting and will be holding a workshop where we will use synergy and teamwork to develop the Green Party of Pennsylvania platform.  We also want to show off some of the cool tools we've been working on this year. Come join us and see what we've accomplished!     

Communications Report by Sheri Miller

The Communications Team has been busy helping to promote candidates and campaign events.  The GreenWave Team requested a Communications Liaison to promote candidates on social media and Lon stepped right into the new role.  He's been doing a fantastic job, working with candidates to understand their needs and then promoting them widely.  Kevin has also been working with our candidates to help them with photo editing and graphical design of campaign flyers. It's been an amazing election year! 

Finance Report by Tim Runkle

The draft proposal for the 2019 Budget has been sent out to our delegates for review.  The Finance Team has sought input on the desired direction of party spending and the Team is pleased to present the results of several months of dialog and review with our members.  Our projections for 2019 are strong and we expect with solid goals and participation the Party will go further than in years prior.  Find more details on the proposal schedule and process at www.gpofpa.org/2019_budget_process then go one step further and help the Finance Team by attending our bi-weekly meetings. Sign up at www.gpofpa.org/committees_finance

GreenWave Report by Jenny Isaacs

As we swing into the final stage of this campaign season, our local candidates are leaning into their Get Out the Vote activities, while Neal, Paul, & Jocolyn are doing a great job keeping up with questionnaires on their stances from various special interest groups, recording interviews, and making appearances at various events.  

On Election Day itself we have a crucial need for volunteers to spend an hour or a day at the polls on election day handing out flyers and speaking directly to voters as they enter.  In order to be able to send you literature (and possibly even a reusable Vote Green sign!) we MUST have folks signed up well in advance so please volunteer here: https://www.gpofpa.org/election_day_2018

If you are excited about late-stage campaigning and want to get involved, email [email protected] to receive an invite to Wednesday night's committee & candidate call and learn how YOU can get involved!

News from our Campaigns   

 Paul Glover for Governor 

Click on pictures to follow the links to see and hear Paul in interviews, opinion surveys and the League of Women Voters' sponsored Gubernatorial Debates. 

 

Paul Glover | The Sierra Club of Pennsylvania

To follow Paul's social media, and become part of the conversation, visit his Facebook page at Glover for Governor of Pennsylvania

Paul is founder of more than a dozen organizations and campaigns dedicated to ecology and social justice, including Ithaca HOURS local currency, Health Democracy, the Philadelphia Orchard Project (POP), Citizen Planners of Los Angeles, and the League of Uninsured Voters (LUV). He is author of six books on grassroots economies, and a former professor of urban studies at Temple University. He serves as a community consultant through GreenPlanners Consultancy.  To learn more, donate, or volunteer, visit Glover for Governor. 

 

 Jocolyn Bowser-Bostick for Lt. Governor

Jocolyn's top concerns are vigorously protecting the economic, social and political rights of women, racial minorities, believers of any faith and those of any gender identity or sexual orientation; making sure everyone has healthy, safe and affordable housing; increasing the minimum wage to at least $15/hour and facilitating other benefits for 

workers; bringing a government-funded universal health care system for PA; alleviating the tax burden on low and middle income residents and shifting the burden to wealthy corporations and individuals; banning fracking for oil and 

gas and eliminating our use of all fossil fuels and their infrastructure while becoming more energy efficient and eventually 100% reliant on clean and renewable energy sources to save money, improve our health and dramatically increase green jobs.  Adopting these changes on taxes and energy use will improve public transit and free up funds to improve K-12 education in our struggling school districts; and eliminating corruption in all levels of government and our criminal justice system will help end mass incarceration. 

Jocolyn Bowser-Bostick on C-Net | Video

Jocolyn Bowser-Bostick's Statement on Access to Debates:

On Saturday, October 6th Pittsburgh’s WPXI-TV held a partial Pennsylvania Lt. Governor’s debate in their TV studio. This face to face meeting of the candidates was incomplete because it undemocratically limited the political education that voters need and deserve to elect their next Governor & Lt. Governor by excluding the only two female Lt. Governor candidates and non-major party candidates that legally qualified to be on the General Election Ballot. The Green Party’s Jocolyn Bowser-Bostick and the Libertarian Party’s Kathleen Smith deserved to share the stage and promote their views and creative solutions to some of PA’s dire problems alongside the Democrat, John Fetterman and the Republican, Jeff Bartos. This erasure of our presence at the debate was unreasonable, biased and a disservice to democracy and the thousands of registered voters who signed our petitions because they were disgusted by the status quo and wanted different viewpoints and policies to emanate from Harrisburg so their lives and their children’s futures could be better. Not only did Pittsburgh’s WPXI-TV take away an earned opportunity of free speech for us, the candidates, but it is also squashed the opportunity for peaceful dissent of the electorate to the usual political maneuvering of Democrats and Republicans and their often ineffective solutions. The press should not undermine its constitutional obligation to promote a healthy democracy by preventing the legitimate perspectives of its fellow citizens from being seen, heard or addressed. 

Find out more about Jocolyn's campaign at  Jocolyn for PA Lt. Governor

 

 Neal Gale for US Senate 

 

 

 

 

Neal Gale on PCN  |  Video

 

Neal Gale on C-Net  |  Video 

Neal's campaign slogan is "One family, many voices!" and he is committed to bringing people together around the issues of peace and climate change to pursue a safe and healthy future for our families.

To see his calendar or to volunteer or donate for his campaign, visit his website at Neal Gale for US Senate

 

 John Jay Sweeney for State Senate, District 20

Jay is actively seeking endorsements from those organizations whose values he represents. He has received endorsements from Our Revolution PA and Action Together NEPA, with others pending. Jay stands 

for healthy community through healthy democracy and supports independent redistricting, open primaries, 

verifiable voting and instant runoff or ranked choice voting.

If elected, Jay would make the fracking ban in the Delaware River Basin permanent. He opposes raising the wage tax to reduce property tax, preferring to use combined reporting to capture corporate income tax that is currently being avoided through dodges such as the Delaware Loophole. Jay believes that public schools should be funded 100% through the General Fund and schools should be funded equitably. 

Visit John Jay Sweeney's Facebook page

   

 Darcelle Slappy for State Representative, District 10

Darcelle is currently an elected Green School Board Director in Beaver Falls.  Education, healthcare for all, and job creation are her priorities in her run for State Representative. She took part in the Beaver County Community Candidate Forum held at Aquippa High School on August 10th, sponsored by Progressive Democrats of America with co-sponsors Beaver County Voice for Change, Moral Monday Coalition, NAACP, Beaver County United, Southwest Pennsylvania National Organization for Women, and USW Local 1211. Darcelle joined several other candidates, including John Fetterman, to answer questions from the community and the audience.   

 

 

Visit Darcelle Slappy on Facebook  

 

 Jay Walker for State Representative, District 23 

Jay's primary goals are to end gerrymandering in PA, get money out of politics, advocate for a healthy environment, and provide healthcare as a human right to all Pennsylvanians, 

 

 

 

Jay Walker in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Visit Jay Walker on Facebook 

Jay has been endorsed by the Green Party of Pennsylvania, Green Party of Allegheny County, and Our Revolution Pennsylvania.

To volunteer or donate, visit  Jay Walker for State Representative

 

Brianna Johnston, Special Election for US Congress, District 7

Chester County Green Party members have been out in full force, campaigning for Brianna.  Brianna was also interviewed by the Delaware County Daily Times.  In the interview, she stated that a major reason for running was to promote recognition of the Green Party and its values of social and economic justice and environmental rights. She added, “I do like being involved in politics. My favorite thing about it is getting to know people in my districts. You meet a lot of people. Yo get to work for a common cause. It’s inspiring and (I enjoy) just getting to know where I live better.” 

 

Charles Michael Farley, an Adams County Green, is running a write-in campaign for the 13th Congressional District!

Charles Michael Farley (Mike) is running a write-in campaign in Pennsylvania's 13th District in order to give voters more choices on election day: "Voters need more options and candidates that represent them."  Mike holds a Bachelor's degree in history and a Master's degree in liberal studies. He is currently working as a librarian/department manager and has worked as a special education teacher with vulnerable populations in the past. He has also volunteered as a little league coach and umpire. Mike worked with political groups in college and was a York County Green Party co-chair. He is committed to the Green Party's Key Values. He was elected as a Minority Inspector of Elections in Hanover as a Green and although his term is up, he still volunteers as a fill-in for vacancies in that office. 

GPPA News Highlights   

PA Greens Condemn Recent Hate Attacks

This has been a horrendous week of hate: Beginning with the Administration’s efforts to persecute and threaten the lives of millions of transgender people through a change in the official definition of gender, and ending with the unspeakable, anti-semitic tragedy in Pittsburgh.  

Green Party of Pennsylvania members extend our deepest sympathies and offer our support to the victims of these acts of violence. These unspeakable anti-semitic, cissexist, bigoted attacks are a tragic indignity to our American values. We stand in solidarity with the Tree of Life Synagogue, the trans community, and the victims of these horrific hate crimes.

The Green Party of Pennsylvania denounces all hate crime and bigotry, whether expressed through physical violence such as Saturday’s tragedy, or through policy by systematic legislation that destroys people’s lives in other ways.  We encourage tolerance, acceptance and humanism among all people.

We must work to end all forms of violence at home, in our communities, in government, and around the world. At this time of so much radicalization, heartbreak, grief, and fear for so many, we encourage all people to stand with vulnerable and persecuted populations and victims of hate. 

GPPA Upcoming Events   

2018 November Conference 

Saturday and Sunday, November 17th-18th:  Once the November election has passed it will be time to celebrate!  We invite you to join us in Harrisburg for the GPPA 2018 November Conference; a two-day event with workshops, activities, and fun on Saturday and the state business meeting on Sunday. The event is open to all interested members of the public. Only delegates of the Green Party of Pennsylvania may vote at the business meeting. You must register in advance for this event.  Click here and purchase your tickets today! 

Saturday Workshops:

Keynote Speaker - Steve Grumbine of Real Progressives

Steve Grumbine is the founder of Real Progressives, a citizens activism organization with a global reach of over 120 thousand followers on Facebook and over 4,000 on YouTube.  Through advocacy, education, and outreach Real Progressives focuses on supporting progressives policies, candidates, and economics in order to advance the progressive movement in America.  Steve will be sharing his experiences on building a progressive organization from the ground up.

Workshop - Treasurers' 101

This workshop will provide information about the basic responsibilities of a Treasurer, from setting up a committee through filing compliance reports.  Our party needs knowledgeable Treasurers for our local chapters, our state and local campaigns, and the State Committee/Steering Committee. We hope to share experiences and strengthen bonds with one another so to build a network of capable and ready Treasurers throughout the state.

Workshop - Platform Review

A platform is a formal set of primary goals that describes the principles and vision of an organization.  Our platform consists of many planks which are developed with the knowledge and experience of our many, diverse members and represents our collective hopes and strategies for positive change in our state.  During this workshop help us clarify, develop, and organize a revised platform for GPPA that aligns with our Four Pillars value structure.

Workshop - From Social Media to Local Media, Effectively  Promoting Candidates, Events, and Values

Exposure is one of the greatest challenges for emerging parties, with many random as well as purposeful barriers to getting our voices heard and letting people know what we offer.  A two-prong approach is needed: Social media and local media (because there is a sizable portion of the voting population who do not use Facebook or Twitter). In this workshop you will learn about tools and resources that can dramatically expand the reach of your messages on social media and also learn how to connect with your local or regional news media outlets to get your stories and events covered.

Workshop - Local Candidate Endorsement Process

Join us as we model and explore the county endorsement process for local candidates through group participation and role playing. The group will ask questions of the candidates seeking election and will evaluate their answers. The participants playing the candidates will practice presenting their Green values & platform, leading the group to develop evaluation criteria guidelines and address the philosophical tension between wanting high-quality candidates vs. wanting a Green on the ballot at all costs.

Workshop - Drafting National Proposals

Learn the responsibilities of being a National Delegate to the Green Party of the United States (GPUS).  This interactive workshop will explain what National Delegates do and how they interact, describe the steps needed to develop and submit a proposal to GPUS, and then put together some beginning proposals.

 

 

Support the Green Party of Pennsylvania

Seeking small donations from many (rather than huge donations from just a few) ensures that the party and its candidates represent real, everyday people and not just special interests.  

You can support the Green Party in many ways; however, a monthly sustaining donation helps to fund a solid infrastructure to help local chapters coordinate candidates and provide resources to make their campaigns successful.  As little as $3 per month can have a significant impact!            Sustaining Donation         Single Donation

Join us and help bring about a future where people and planet are valued over profits. We have a new, tiered membership structure that allows you to determine your level of commitment and support. And if you want to get more directly involved, consider volunteering or joining a committee.  Work with other committed progressives and activists in activities such as planning events, developing media content, or helping with campaigns. Let's join together to make 2018 the year of progressives!

 

Green Party of Pennsylvania Communications & Media Committee 

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Issue Credits: Lon Diffenderfer, Sheri Miller, David Ochmanowicz, Kevin Richardson (original graphics)

Additional resources from the Green Party of the United States

Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org
News Center http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml 
Video Page http://www.gp.org/video/index.php
Green Papers http://www.greenpapers.net/
Google+ http://www.gp.org/google
Twitter http://twitter.com/gpus
Livestream Channel http://www.livestream.com/greenpartyus
GP-TV Twitter page http://www.gp.org/twitter
Facebook page http://www.gp.org/facebook
Green Pages: The official publication of record of the Green Party of the United States http://gp.org/greenpages-blog 

The Green Star is an official publication of the Green Party of Pennsylvania Communications Committee * 2018