June
PA Greens Oppose Tree-cutting in Philadelphia Park
On May 5, the Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA) Steering Committee endorsed a public letter to Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker requesting that she end the slaughter of heritage trees in Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) Park. As chainsaw crews level acres of trees in the Park, regional and state organizations, along with environmental experts, convened at the site and delivered a message urging Mayor Cherelle Parker to intervene before the Fairmount Park Conservancy clear-cuts and fills a natural floodplain.
GPPA Steering Committee Member Alex Casper said, “The City of Philadelphia is tearing down 441 trees at FDR Park. Many of them are heritage trees, sacred to the Lenni Lenape people. The city wants to make room for 16 artificial-turf soccer fields to host the FIFA World Cup.” Casper continued, “I myself go bird watching at FDR Park ever since I used to live in Point Breeze. The meadows and habitats within them are home to red-winged black birds, gray catbirds, red cardinals, tree swallows, etc. Destroying these habitats takes away a vital home for wildlife. I have urged our state and local Green Parties to sign on to the demand that the Mayor protect these sacred trees and our cities best habitats.”
Green Party of Philadelphia (GPOP) Co-chair Belinda Davis said, “All aside from the public's recreational enjoyment, it is hard to see how this is consistent with the city's climate goals, of which the Mayor has made so much.” READ THE FULL STORY HERE
PA Green News
Edited by Chris Robinson
Meet Green Councilperson Tara Yaney on 6/1
Meet two-term Edgewood Borough Councilperson Tara Yaney. She will give an update on council business and look ahead to what's coming down the road. Tara will also speak about why she's a member of the Green Party. There will be an opportunity to meet Green Party of Allegheny County officers and members from the Regent Square area. Please RSVP for location, [email protected]
GPPA State Committee Meeting on 6/9
The State Committee of the Green Party of PA will meet on June 9. This is a virtual meeting that will begin at 12 noon. To receive the log-in information and agenda, please RSVP to [email protected]
Greens Attend Well Hunt Weekend in McKean County
Six Green Party members attended the Willow Bay Well Hunt Weekend in McKean County on the third weekend of April. Participants visited Sugar Bay, which has many leaking gas and oil wells. They also kayaked to a submerged gas well in the Kinzua Reservoir. Their host was Green Party of PA Delegate Barbara Laxon (far right in photo).
Allegheny Greens Hold “Welcome Back” Open House
GPOAC said on Facebook, “ Join us tonight in East Liberty for our "Open House" social event as we welcome back people who switched to other parties to vote in Pennsylvania's closed primary!”
Campaign Updates
Edited by Chris Robinson
Green Party candidates who plan to run in 2024 are welcome to contact GREEN STAR at [email protected].
PA STATE-WIDE
The Green Party has endorsed for state-wide office:
Dr. Jill Stein for President of the U.S. and Samson L. Kpadenou for Vice President.
Jill Stein tells GREEN STAR, “We need the Green Party more than ever to challenge the corrupt duopoly. The Democrats and Republicans don't answer to the people but listen only to their donors like the Military Industrial Complex, Wall Street, and AIPAC. The continued support for Israel despite the clear and horrific ongoing genocide Israel commits in Gaza shows that lobbyists control both ruling parties. I have always dedicated myself to growing the Green Party to be ready for a time like this where voters would demand a pro-peace, pro-worker, climate action party and candidate.”
You may volunteer for the Jill Stein 2024 Campaign right here, https://www.jillstein2024.com/volunteer You may donate to her campaign right here, https://www.jillstein2024.com/donate
Leila Hazou for U.S. Senate
Leila Hazou tells GREEN STAR, “My campaign priorities are:
Women’s Rights, LGBTQ Rights and an end to systemic racism;
Healthcare is a right - no one should worry about losing their home due to illness or aging;
The Environment and Responsible Stewardship of the Planet;
Removing AIPAC and Corporate Lobbying from our politics;
Workers’ Rights and Fair Wages; and
Ensuring the wealthy pay their share in taxes.
We may follow Leila’s campaign on her website, https://www.leilaforsenate.com/;
Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558366941475;
Tiktoc, https://www.tiktok.com/@leilaforsenate; and
Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/leilaforsenate/
Please support Leila’s campaign for U.S. Senate with a contribution, https://www.leilaforsenate.com/donate
Richard L. Weiss, Esq. for PA Attorney General.
Richard Weiss tells GREEN STAR, “I am born and raised in Pennsylvania. My parents owned Weiss Bakery in the Brentwood Boro of Pittsburgh. My first law job was as an attorney for the federal government in the General Counsel's Office of the U. S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Washington, DC. Since then my career has been divided between Jakarta, Indonesia, where I worked on foreign investment and project finance, and Pittsburgh where I work on litigation support on a project basis. We may follow Richard’s campaign on Twitter/X, https://twitter.com/RichardLWeiss
Richard asks supporters to contribute to the GPPA, which may be done here, https://www.gpofpa.org/donate
PA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The Green Party has endorsed one candidate for the PA General Assembly:
Charles Sherrouse for PA House District 202. The candidate is from Philadelphia County. We look forward to telling you more in the July GREEN STAR.
National Green News
Edited by David Ochmanowicz Jr.
“They’re not even trying to cover their tracks at this point,” Cody Hannah, a co-chair of the Arizona Green Party, said. . . . “We know these people aren’t members of our party. We know they aren’t genuine Greens.” Neither Arizona’s Democratic Party nor its Republican Party responded to requests for comment . . . . Mr. Hannah, the Green Party’s co-chair, said party members were not familiar with either Mr. Hernandez or Mr. Norton. “We know the faces who show up at our meetings,” he said. “We know the people who volunteer. It definitely made us suspicious, if nothing else.” READ THE FULL STORY HERE
Greens Take a Stand with #Ceasefire Movement
The Green Party has long stood in solidarity with the struggle for justice and liberation in Palestine. While the arrest of 2024 Green Party Presidential contender Jill Stein has been national news, Greens across the country (including in Illinois) have been joining rallies, marches, teach-ins, and encampments calling for an immediate ceasefire and the end of the current assault on Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands.
On April 27, Dr. Jill Stein, who is running for the Green Party US nomination for president, was arrested with others, including members of her campaign staff, at the Gaza solidarity encampment at Washington University in Missouri, [which] had been set up calling on the university to divest from defense contractor Boeing. Dr. Stein was in Missouri to collect ballot access petitions in order to be on the ballot in November and went to the encampment after being invited by the students involved. READ THE FULL STORY HERE
Presidential Candidate Jill Stein Attacked in St. Louis
After attacking Dr. Jill Stein, St. Louis police charged her with assaulting them. Stein is the presumptive Presidential candidate of the Green Party. On April 27, she spoke at a program of the Green Party of St. Louis and then went to support student protesters at Washington University. There, she was arrested along with Green Party campaign managers Jason Call and Kelly Merrill with about 100 others. READ THE FULL STORY HERE
Global Green News
Edited by Hal Brown
Greens of Slovenia to Win Seats in European Parliament
All candidates on the list [for the 2024 European Parliament elections] will defend sustainable development, green breakthrough, social Europe, solving demographic problems, reducing bureaucracy in agriculture, liberal and democratic values and peace. READ THE FULL STORY HERE
Romanian Greens Object to Facebook Misinformation
Romanian Greens confirmed in a press release that their party is led by co-presidents Bogdan Botea and Rodica Bărbuță, elected during the Congress [2023] which is in the validation procedure at the Bucharest Court. Only the people mentioned above have the right to speak on behalf of the Green Party (Romania) . . . . In a long statement published on its website, the Romanian Green Party (Partidul Verde, Verzi) vehemently denies a photo and a message published on Facebook claiming that the court ruled in favor the two former co-presidents... READ THE FULL STORY HERE
Portugal Green Ecological Party Promotes Nature Conservation
Several activists from the Ecological Party The Greens (Partido Ecologista Os Verdes, PEV) were in the streets for what they described as an interpretive walk on the Spontaneous Flora Trail . . . . They wanted to show through this approach that native and spontaneous plants, including those often called weeds, are essential to the conservation of ecosystems and the prevention of invasive species. They deplored the fact that there are still cleaning operations today with the total elimination of vegetation, which causes the opening of clearings and large areas of bare and exposed soil, which are then quickly colonized by invasive species. READ THE FULL STORY HERE
GPPA Meeting Date for 2024
All State Web Conferences will begin promptly at noon.
Sunday, June 9, via Zoom
Sunday, September 22, location to be announced
Sunday, November 10, via Zoom
GPPA Communications Team
Issue Credits
Editors: Hal Brown, Patrick O. McNally, David Ochmanowicz, Jr. and Chris Robinson
Contributors: Alex Casper, Belinda Davis, Neil Haagen, Leila Hazou, Barbara Laxon, Chris Robinson, Jill Stein, Jay Walker and Richard L. Weiss
Layout: Hal Brown, Sherri Miller, and David Ochmanowicz Jr.
Graphic Arts: Kevin Richardson
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