Nov '22 Green Star - Election Edition
Working toward a future where people and planet are valued, and our government represents all of us.
November 2022
GENERAL ELECTION, NOVEMBER 8
Edited by Chris Robinson
The following Green Party candidates have been endorsed by the Green Party of Pennsylvania.
CHRISTINA “PK” DIGIULIO (CHESTER COUNTY) FOR GOVERNOR OF PENNSYLVANIA
and
MICHAEL BAGDES-CANNING (BUTLER COUNTY) FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF PENNSYLVANIA
Green Party Candidate at East Falls Neighbors in Philadelphia
Green Party candidate Christina DiGiulio, who is running for PA Governor, spoke with Philadelphia voters on October 10 at the East Falls Presbyterian Church. . . . DiGiulio explained to the voters why she was “running for governor in an election which I cannot win.” She said that her task is to raise the issues which other candidates avoid, “Candidates from the two corporate parties have no solutions for the many problems faced by the voters. They offer voters a scarcity of new ideas. The Green Party has solutions,” explained DiGiulio, “for climate change and for our healthcare crisis. The Green Party has solutions for corruption in Harrisburg.”
Given her background as a water protector near Marsh Creek State Park, DiGiulio eloquently explained how fracking for fossil fuel is poisoning PA’s air, water and land. “This must stop,” she said. “Just think of our children’s future..." Read more
Green Party Candidate Stops in State College
By Rebecca Parsons, WTAJ News
CENTRE COUNTY, Pa (WTAJ) – Another candidate for lieutenant governor made a stop at State College today. On Monday, Oct. 17, the stop was part of Michael Bagdes-Canning’s “The Trouble with Normal, is it only gets worse” tour. Bagdes-Canning says his campaign is focused on three major issues. Those three issues are building alternatives, climate, and the one most important to himself, corruption... Read more
RICHARD L. WEISS, ESQ. (ALLEGHENY COUNTY) FOR U.S. SENATE FROM PENNSYLVANIA
Richard Weiss is Green Party Senate Pick
By Bob Small
Richard Weiss is an attorney who has the Green Party nod for Pennsylvania’s U.S. senate seat. He ran before for attorney general and a judge. He has a number of issues for which he proposes green solutions.
One solution he proposes for the Covid controversy is that “we could have hours of operation for those who want masking”. Further on, he proposes that we could have “mask-only buses and mask optional buses. . . .”
He believes that we should seek to negotiate peace in the Ukraine and revoke the authorization for use of military force (AUMF) instituted on Sept. 18, 2001 in response to the 9/11 attacks. He wants to reduce overseas bases to pre-911 levels, bring troops home and spend that (my italics) money at home. He supports the Stop Arming Terrorists Bill proposed by Tulsi Gabbard, and wants to free Julian Assange.
He wants to end civil asset forfeiture and qualified immunity, and ban fracking. Read more
ZARAH LIVINGSTON (ALLEGHENY COUNTY) FOR
PA HOUSE DISTRICT 32
This is a winnable PA House race for PA Greens!
Electing a Green to the PA House of Representatives would be a great accomplishment, especially in a competitive state like Pennsylvania. Ballot access laws and corporate “personhood” make the biggest spenders, the most popular candidates, and their corporate and special interests are close behind.
This Fall, PA’s 32 House Districts community have an opportunity to make history.
Not Red, Not Blue … but Green ….
With untimely passing of the Democratic candidate on the ballot - and no Republican challenger in the race, the community has an opportunity to elect a working class representative to their government.
Zarah’s been working hard to promote her candidacy these last few weeks and we can all kick in to help her concentrated efforts:
Reducing Gun Violence
Environmental Justice
Ending the failed “War on Drugs”
Community Based Economics & Small Businesses
Visit Zara's Campaign site here
We can have our first elected State House Representative in Pennsylvania.
This Campaign needs some quick support for a potential HUGE WIN for Zarah and Greens across PA.
Will you donate a much needed $10, $35 or $100 right now for signs & polling literature? It will be used to help our campaign come out victorious in a few weeks - Help me build a Greener Pennsylvania.
DONATE HERE: NOT ON THE WEBSITE PLEASE
https://donorbox.org/committee-to-elect-zarah
JAY TING WALKER (ALLEGHENY COUNTY) FOR
PA HOUSE DISTRICT 23
https://www.jaytingwalker.com/
https://www.facebook.com/JayTingWalker
We’re in crisis. Whether it’s the environment that’s currently on fire, the pandemic we’re facing, the racial injustice preying on our citizens, or the unbearable cost of student loans, it’s never been clearer that what we’ve been doing isn’t working. We can’t wait for change. We need action now.
PA Green News
By Chris Robinson
PA Green Party Candidate Demands Broadband Internet
By Michael Bagdes-Canning, Green Party candidate for PA Lt. Governor
Last year, my local grandchildren, like many other children across PA – and their parents and grandparents -- were introduced to a new concept: remote learning. Obviously, this came with some social costs and a learning curve for all of us. On many days, my two grandkids came to our home, while their parents were at work. It was during these times that it dawned on me that there was something seriously wrong with our internet service.
In our area; we have “high speed internet.” This means that we are served by a copper direct service line. Copper is old and slow technology. What this lousy service meant was our two grandkids could not do remote schooling at the same time, or the system would bog down. Then they would lose connection with their teachers. It also meant that my wife, Karen, and I had to forego meetings and other internet-based things during school hours. . . .
I believe that internet service is the equivalent of what roadways, telephones, water, sewerage, and electricity were for prior generations. Students and businesses that are lacking infrastructure, suffer consequences that lead to unequal outcomes. We must do better.
When I am elected Lt. Governor of PA, I will see that PA publicly funds last-mile installation of fiber optic cable to underserved areas. PA should also reclassify the internet as a Title II communications service. This designation will allow the FCC to protect consumers against abuses by service providers, prevent unfair data caps and shut-offs, ensure network reliability, and affordability. PA should also remove barriers to competition -- including incentivizing public options. The digital divide is real and bridging it is an important step to revitalizing areas on the wrong side of the digital tracks... Read more
National Green News
Edited by Noah Alter
No More War in Ukraine
Because the U.S. is fighting a proxy war with Russia in Ukraine, it is important that the Green Party of the U.S. (GPUS) have an official statement regarding its position on the war in Ukraine. It is especially important because of the grave danger of nuclear war in which the government has placed our country and the rest of the world. Because one of the Green Party pillars is Peace, we should have a position that is likely to end the hostilities and resolve the differences between Russia and Ukraine in a peaceful manner.
The GPUS endorse the following statement, on October 10th, 2022, as the official position of GPUS regarding the war in Ukraine:
The GPUS views the war in Ukraine with great concern. As the U.S. party of peace, we emphatically oppose the recourse to war as a means of inter-state dispute resolution and, accordingly, condemn the present violence in Ukraine by all sides. With respect to the U.S. and Western response, we express specific four concerns regarding ...
GPUS calls for cessation of unconditional military aid to Ukraine, lifting of counter-productive sanctions regimes, and initiation of genuine negotiations toward a ceasefire and sustainable peace framework! We implore the Biden Administration to use its position of influence to facilitate peace by encouraging peace talks and engaging with Russia to de-escalate tensions – not to fuel war by further arming Ukraine and prolonging a terrible conflict...Read more
Global Green News
Edited by Hal Brown
Africa Emits Less Than 4% of Global CO2 Emissions But Pays the Heavy Price of Climate Change
...Compared to other regions of the world, Africa is the least resilient continent to climate change due to a high level of vulnerability and a low level of preparedness. “The African continent is the one with the least impact on climate change, but paradoxically, suffers the majority of the consequences of these scourges,” said Félix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Several African leaders point the finger at the failure of the international community to meet the objectives of COP21 in Paris in 2015. That is to say, to contain, by 2100, global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels, ideally limit it to 1.5 degrees. But according to the World Meteorological Organization, the warming could reach 2.5 to 3 degrees... Read more
Norwegian Greens accuse Government of War Profiteering
...There has been a sevenfold increase in the price of natural gas since 2021. Oslo anticipates a 94 billion euro profit from the petroleum industry this year, up from 65 billion the year before. Green Party Parliamentarian, Rasmus Hansson, concludes that it is “morally wrong” to gain from price rises driven by war. He further warns that Norway runs the risk of damaging international relations with European states that are struggling to adjust to reduced supply and higher prices.
Hansson states; “we think Norway is being short-sighted and selfish. We are getting a windfall of profit which is very big, but the question is does that money belong to us as the most obvious reason for that price increase and that extra income is the disaster that has befallen the Ukrainian people?”... Read more
Climate Choices’ Business Awards recognized Canberra’s more Sustainable Business
...The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) – containing Australia’s capital, Canberra, and surrounding townships – has been awarding businesses for their sustainable choices for over 10 years. This time, charities, hotels, businesses, and embassies were among the winners of the Climate Choices Business Awards. These prizes recognized companies’ contributions to sustainability and climate action. . . .
The ACT region has already reached a target for 100% renewable electricity. Last month, the executive announced they will phase out fossil fuel gas by 2045. Canberra will be electrified with renewable electricity over the next two decades. . . .
ACT Greens are the fastest growing political party in the region. Founded in 1992, they are the third force in ACT politics. . . . With three Ministers and three independent members in the government, ACT Greens try to ‘Build a Better Normal.’ They listen to citizens to find solutions to the major challenges of society and the planet... Read more
Greens of Prince Edward Island Critical of Government Hurricane Response
...Hurricane Fiona swept through the Canadian Maritime provinces in late September, leaving a path of destruction. Wind gusts were up to 170 km per hour. Roads were washed out. Trees and powerlines were knocked down. Houses were swept out to sea. The storm surge even altered the coastline of the province of Prince Edward Island (PEI).
With 8 of the 27 seats in the provincial legislature, the Greens of PEI are the official opposition to the governing Conservatives. The Green Party is critical of the government’s response to Fiona and lack of preparation to deal with future storms that are expected because of climate change. . . .
PEI Green Party leader, Peter Bevan-Baker, describes the government’s response to the devastation caused by Fiona as “frustratingly slow” and questions why it is taking so long to restore power...
Greens also call for better long-term planning as there will be more storms of this magnitude due to climate change. In a 2019 federal summary of climate science, fossil fuel emissions are blamed for the intensity of tropical storms that form in the southern Atlantic and head north to the Canadian coast... Read more
PA Green Party Candidates, Unions Can Build Working Class Unity
For Immediate Release
Sunday, September 4, 2022
Contact Person: Chris Robinson
267-977-0570, [email protected]
PA Green Party Candidates, Unions Can Build Working Class Unity
On Labor Day 2022, Green Party candidates for PA Governor and Lt. Governor recognized the importance of organized labor in moving forward our Commonwealth. Green Party candidate for PA Governor, Christina "PK" DiGiulio (Chester County) said, “I am inspired to see a new generation of workers forming labor unions to elevate and protect their workforce.”
DiGiulio said she liked the statement made by her counterpart Paul Glover, who received 27,792 votes as a Green for PA Governor in 2018. At the time, Glover had said, “As I see it, unions should demand greater ownership, not just greater wages. This means ownership of factories and banks and farms. As we build such labor institutions, workers will escape middle class treadmills . . . . These ultimate unions will empower workers as owners of co-operative enterprises whose purpose is to meet basic needs while replenishing the earth.”
Green Party candidate Michael Bagdes-Canning (Butler) for PA Lt. Governor, expanded upon this thought, saying, “Our economy is set up to keep us fighting against each other rather than for each other. The same forces keeping us as wage slaves are also destroying the very climate we depend on for survival, pitting us against each other – using race, gender, immigration status, and our zip codes to divide us. When we in the working class unite, that will all change.”
“That’s what inspired me about the history of our labor movement,” continued Bagdes-Canning. “Workers organizing in unions changed the face of the workplace and beyond. Those workers organized across the differences that divided them and brought workers together to fight for radical change.”
The Green Party Platform says, “The Green Party supports the irreducible right of working people, without hindrance, to form a union and to bargain collectively with their employer. This right was guaranteed under the National Labor Relations Act of 1935. We support the right of workers, without penalty, to inform other workers on the premises of a union being formed. This includes advertising and recruiting.”
To join the DiGiulio Campaign for PA Governor and the Bagdes-Canning Campaign for PA Lt. Governor, please sign up here, https://www.greenslate2022.com/volunteer. To contribute to their Campaign, please visit, https://www.greenslate2022.com/donate.
For more information, please see:
Green Party Platform, GPUS, II Social Justice, G. Labor; https://www.gp.org/social_justice/#sjLabor
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PA Green Party Calls for Community Based Economics
Green Party of Pennsylvania
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, August 18, 2022
CONTACT:
Chris Robinson, Communication Team Leader
215-843-4256 and [email protected]
PA Green Party Calls for Community Based Economics
By Treasurer Joseph U. Murray, Green Party of Berks County
Housing, food and utilities are the basics for a human life. Yet in a nation with a $25 trillion economy, homelessness, hunger and poverty are steadily increasing as a recent letter from Habitat for Humanity stated: “17% of children in your home state of PA are living in poverty . . . . Secure housing provides a pathway to financial stability, safety for children and a healthy environment in which whole families can thrive.”
I paraphrased Habitat’s letter. They referred to home ownership, but the same applies to safe, affordable decent rental housing. The Green Party Platform warns, “State governments continue to weaken or preempt local rent control laws, while landlords who violate housing code requirements by failing to keep their property in habitable condition, are often tolerated or given lenient penalties. Housing discrimination also remains rampant against people of color, immigrants, disabled, single people, gays and lesbians, and families with children.” .
All those reading this should know their take home pay and their monthly living costs. This article focuses on housing costs, their skyrocketing level, and why you can never get ahead. The following figures are from a Zillow analysis in August to September 2021 and are for the Philadelphia Housing Market cited by a SOFI report:
Median monthly mortgage cost: $1,595
Median Studio Rent: $762
Median one-bedroom rent: $805
Median two- bedroom rent $971
Median three- bedroom rent: $$1,085
Median four-bedroom rent: $1,155
Median gross rent: $951
Average utility costs in Pennsylvania: $ 353
Average grocery and food costs in Pennsylvania $278 per person per month.
These figures were before inflation took off in 2022 and rents, mortgage interest rates and food costs shot up so that all workers wage gains were wiped out and their actual earnings were driven down.
Behind this lies record profits for the oil and gas industries and cash flows for the private equity firms that snapped up foreclosed homes after the Wall Street-caused financial crash of 2008. Since that time those same financial corporations have been buying rental housing from small landlords in hot markets and jacking up rents while evicting rent-subsidized tenants to maximize investment returns.
It makes basic sense that stable housing in a community with all the essential basic services available and affordable make for a stable society in which gun violence records are not set daily. Why this isn’t the case is very clear and open, our society exists to serve the maximizing of profits and wealth concentration for those who control the assets, production, commodities, and property of PA.
This system is fully supported by the Democratic and Republican Parties which are the political franchise of the Wall Street powers. They will tell you it’s the best system for the majority and those who don’t benefit from it are at fault. This is a well proven lie by our own history, by the results of the GI Bill and VA mortgages which were established after WW II veterans fought politically for them here at home.
The Green Party has a different vision of how our society should work. Compare our existing system to this Green Party Key Value:
COMMUNITY BASED ECONOMICS
“[The Green Party supports] redesigning our work structures to encourage employee ownership and workplace democracy. We support developing new economic activities and institutions that allow us to use technology in ways that are humane, freeing, ecological and responsive and accountable to communities. We support establishing a basic form of economic security open to all. We call for moving the narrow “job ethic” to new definitions of work, jobs and income in a cooperative and democratic economy. We support restructuring our patterns of income distribution to reflect the wealth created by those outside the formal monetary economy – those who take responsibility for parenting, housekeeping, home gardens, community volunteer work and the like. We support restricting the size and concentrated power of corporations without discouraging superior efficiency or technological innovation.
The Green Party Platform calls for renter/tenant’s rights, publicly elected local rent control boards, promotion of affordable housing policy as a national priority, and vigorous enforcement of fair housing laws. The focus of Green Party values is community, humanity and the Earth that sustains all life. If we continue with the present system of politics and economics you will witness human civilization devour itself and the Earth leaving only the mocking cries of scavengers as our legacy of existence. .
The Green Party of PA (GPPA, https://www.gpofpa.org/) is an independent political party that stands in opposition to the two corporate parties. GPPA candidates promote public policy based on the Green Party’s Four Pillars: grassroots democracy, nonviolence, ecological wisdom, and social justice/equal opportunity. For further information about GPPA, please visit www.gpofpa.org or email [email protected]. Please follow GPPA on social media: Facebook and Twitter.
For More Information:
“Our Ten Key Values,” Green Party of the US, https://www.gp.org/ten_key_values
“Green Party Platform,” Green Party of the US; Section II. Social Justice Paragraph K. Housing and Homelessness; https://www.gp.org/social_justice/#sjHousing
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PA Greens Publish Free ebook “Eliminating Fossil Fuel Pipelines So We Have A Healthy Future”
Green Party of Pennsylvania
For release: Saturday, March 19, 2022
For more information please contact
Chris Robinson, 267-977-0570, [email protected]
Green Party of PA Publishes “Eliminating Fossil Fuel Pipelines So We Have A Healthy Future”
On March 19, the Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA, www.gpofpa.org) published a new monograph, “Eliminating Fossil Fuel Pipelines So We Have A Healthy Future” by Jocolyn Bowser-Bostic. This publication explores the various environmental problems associated with fossil fuel pipelines and the resulting health consequences.
This free ebook offers a highly visual perspective, using photos from citizens affected by local pipelines and fracking sites in and around PA. You may read “Eliminating Fossil Fuel Pipelines So We Have A Healthy Future” by visiting, www.gpofpa.org/pipelines or https://www.gpofpa.org/an_essay_against_fossil_fuel_pipelines.
Christina "PK" DiGiulio (Chester County), the GPPA candidate for Governor of PA, said, "As someone who lives in a community impacted by the petrochemical industry -- in particular the Mariner East Pipeline Project -- I am grateful for the Green Party and Jocolyn Bowser-Bostick for putting the work into and publishing this document. The photographs will be extremely useful for organizers who want to convince their neighbors of the harmful effects of pipelines.”
Green Party candidate for Lieutenant Governor of PA Michael Bagdes-Canning testified, “As someone who lives in the shale-fields of PA, where the gas that fills Mariner East Pipeline is extracted, I can’t thank Jocolyn Bowser-Bostick enough for this document. Neither the Republicans, who deny the science, nor the Democrats, who ignore the science, are fit to lead us into the future. There is no sane reason to frack, crack, transmit, ship, or burn methane.”
That is not the end of the methane madness. Arianne Elinich of Bucks County Concerned Citizens Against the Pipelines (a PA resident directly impacted by the Adelphia Gateway Pipeline Project) shares Bagdes-Canning’s concerns. “From the harmful health and well-water impacts of fracking to the perpetual public safety risks of pipeline infrastructure, fracked gas is a ‘Bridge Fuel to Nowhere,’” said Elinich. “Folks are beginning to understand that fossil fuels are old school and that it’s essential for our elected officials to prioritize the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of PA over any possible corporate interests, inferred or otherwise. With the ever-growing opposition towards greenfield pipeline projects like PennEast, corporations will continue to look towards the repurposing of infrastructure, as is the case with the Adelphia Gateway Pipeline Project. But these projects in all actuality may very well raise even more significant public safety and environmental concerns as a result of the age, repurposing of, and the new facilities being constructed for such pipeline projects. Moreover, it is clear from the recent defeat of the PennEast Pipeline, that the power of the people is a force that is growing stronger, more constructive and more cohesive with every challenge. Do not doubt that change is possible.”
“I think this will be a quick, easy read for folks looking to digest some information on the fracking problem and how important it is to stop drilling now,” said Co-chair David Ochmanowicz of the Green Party of Bucks County and steering committee member of GPPA. “We are grateful to have had photography contributions from Bucks County Concerned Citizens Against the Pipelines, Kim Fraczek, Christine Pontecorvo and Christina “PK” DiGiulio.”
The Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA) is an independent political party which stands in opposition to the two corporate parties. GPPA candidates promote public policy based on the Green Party’s Four Pillars: grassroots democracy, nonviolence, ecological wisdom, and social justice/equal opportunity. For further information about GPPA, please visit www.gpofpa.org. Please follow GPPA on social media: Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/gpofpa/; Instagram, ttps://www.instagram.com/pagreenparty/; and Twitter, https://twitter.com/GreenPartyofPA.
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Click here to download a free copy
Green Party Co-sponsors PA Climate Convergence
Green Party of Pennsylvania
News Release
For release: Tuesday, March 15, 2022
For more information please contact
Chris Robinson, 267-977-0570, [email protected]
Green Party Co-sponsors PA Climate Convergence
The Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA, www.gpofpa.org) has become a co-sponsor of the PA Climate Convergence. Meeting virtually on March 13, Green Party delegates, elected by their county locals, voted unanimously to co-sponsor the event in Harrisburg, PA, on the weekend on June 11 – June 13.
GPPA Co-chair Beth Scroggin (Chester County) explained, “We support the Climate Convergence because climate change is the most important issue any of us are facing. If we continue to ignore it, none of the other issues we focus on will matter, because we will all cease to exist. The Green Party has always prioritized the environment, and because our candidates do not accept corporate donations, we are not forced to remain silent on the issue or minimize it."
Hundreds of grass-roots activists from environmental organizations will join together for a weekend of actions, aimed at changing the climate conversation. They are alarmed by the backward stance of the PA General Assembly. Green Party organizer Joe Murray (Berks County) said, “Our government is keeping PA from being part of the solution to our biggest crisis by denying climate change and subsidizing fossil fuel production.”
Green Party Co-chair Jay Ting Walker (Allegheny County) said, “I will be part of the Climate Convergence because the PA General Assembly has been ignoring hazards to communities from fossil fuel production and refusing to train a new generation for jobs in clean, renewable energy.”
Following the vote, Michael Bagdes-Canning, the Green Party candidate for Lieutenant Governor of PA, said, “I grew up shaped by the prophetic voice of Dr. King. On August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Dr. King said, ‘We are faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.’ I think it's almost like Dr. King was speaking to us today, because we are faced with an existential crisis. Climate change is serious, and the PA Climate Convergence is an opportunity for people to come together, to plan vigorous and positive action. The fierce urgency of this moment requires it.”
The Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA) is an independent political party which stands in opposition to the two corporate parties. GPPA candidates promote public policy based on the Green Party’s Four Pillars: grassroots democracy, nonviolence, ecological wisdom, and social justice/equal opportunity. For further information about GPPA, please visit www.gpofpa.org. Please follow GPPA on social media: Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/gpofpa/; Instagram, ttps://www.instagram.com/pagreenparty/; and Twitter, https://twitter.com/GreenPartyofPA.
For more information, please see:
PA Climate Convergence, https://www.pennsylvaniaclimateconvergence.org/
Emergency Global Green New Deal, Global Climate Convergence,
https://globalclimateconvergence.org/about/what-we-are-calling-for/
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Michael Bagdes-Canning for PA Lieutenant Governor
Michael Bagdes-Canning
for
PA Lieutenant Governor
For Immediate Release
Wednesday, March 9, 2022
Contact Person: Michael Bagdes-Canning
724-431-8560, [email protected]
BREAKING: Green Party Candidate Announces Bid For Lieutenant Governor
Michael Bagdes-Canning announced that he will seek the nomination of the Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA, www.gpofpa.org) for the office of Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania.
Bagdes-Canning is a husband, father, and grandfather living in Cherry Valley Borough, Butler County, where he has held elected office for 33 years. He is currently Mayor. He is a retired teacher. Bagdes-Canning spent almost 36 years in the classroom, the last 29 teaching delinquent and dependent boys. He was a union member throughout his working life, serving as president, vice president, and building representative in his local. Since his retirement, Bagdes-Canning has been an organizer in the fracking / climate fight locally, statewide, and on the national level. He serves on the board of several community organizations and is a cofounder of Marcellus Outreach Butler (Butler County), a cofounder of the Better Path Coalition (PA), and works with Beyond Extreme Energy (national).
In the latest United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, scientists said the planet is overheating and that exceeding 1.5 degrees Celcius, which appears likely on the current trajectory, would have devastating effects, from harming food production to further intensifying wildfires.
“After reading the most recent IPCC Report and hearing the totally inadequate response from our local, state, and national leaders to its findings, I could no longer sit by. Using the invasion of Ukraine as a pretext for more drilling, more pipes, and more export facilities is madness,” said Bagdes-Canning. “We can’t afford that kind of misleadership.”
Bagdes-Canning is also running to end corruption. “Our political system isn’t broken. It functions exactly the way the two corporate parties and the 1% want it to. Our government is for sale to the highest bidder.”
Bagdes-Canning has called for a gift ban, an end to the per diem, and an end to partisan gerrymandering. “These are highly popular reforms, but neither party has acted on them. Why would they? Both parties collude with the 1% to run things. That’s why politicians serve the people who bribe them and not the people who elect them.”
Bagdes-Canning said he will work with other Greens seeking office. “Our plans will reflect the interests of the poor and working class of Pennsylvania. I’m thrilled to be running with fighters. The people of Pennsylvania deserve a government that serves them, not the rich.”
If you would like to join Michael Bagdes-Canning’s campaign for PA Lt. Governor, please contact 724-431-8560, [email protected].
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Greens holding elected office, US as November 2021 elections
Quincy McCourt, City Council, Susanville (Lassen County) term through March 2024
David Clark, Governing Board Member, Cardiff School District, Cardiff-By-The-Sea (San Diego County) term though Nov 2022
Jacob Coan, Governing Board Member, South Bay Union School District, Eureka (Humboldt County) term through Nov 2022
Carolyn Dixon, Governing Board Member, Wright Elementary School District, Santa Rosa (Sonoma County) term through Nov 2022
Mark Dyken, Governing Board Member, Vallecito Union School District (Calaveras County) term through Nov 2022
Dana Silvernale, Governing Boardmember, North Humboldt Union High School (Humboldt County) term through Nov 2022
John Abraham Powell, Board of Directors, Montecito Fire District, Montecito (Santa Barbara County) term through Nov 2024
Jane Jarlsberg, Joshua Basin Water District (San Bernardino County) term through Nov 2024
Randy Marx, Board of Directors, Fair Oaks Water District, Division 4 (Sacramento County) term through Nov 2024
Robert “Bob” Patrick Wichert, Director, Sacramento Suburban Water District; Division 3 (Sacramento County) term through Nov 2022
Sharron Parra, Hyampom Community Service District (Trinity County) term through Nov 2024
Kyle Cadman, West Area At-Large Representative, Olympic Park Neighborhood Council, Los Angeles (Los Angeles County) term through Spring 2023
Hugh Moore, Area 2 Resident Representative – Seat 2 (Group B), United Neighborhoods of the Historic Arlington Heights, West Adams and Jefferson Park Community Neighborhood Council, Los Angeles (Los Angeles County) term through Spring 2023
Mireira Alejandra Moran , Renter Representative Pacoima Neighborhood Council Los Angeles (Los Angeles County) term through Spring 2023
Carl Petersen, Resident Boardmember, Northridge East Neighborhood Council, Los Angeles (Los Angeles County) term through Spring 2023
Alexander Robinson, Resident Boardmember, Westlake South Neighborhood Council, Los Angeles (Los Angeles County) term through Spring 2023
Matt Keefauver, City Council, Cortez (Montezuma County) term through April 2022 (appointed June 2021)
Hugh Birdsall, Zoning Board of Appeals, Clinton (Middlesex County) term through Nov 2025
Emery Ng, Zoning Board of Appeals Alternate, Windham (Windham County) term through Nov 2025
Michael Westerfield, Board of Assessment Appeals, Windham (Windham County) term through Nov 2023
Charlie Krich, At-large, Willimantic Taxing District Board of Directors, Windham (Windham County) term through Nov 2025
Cassandra Martineau, At-large, Willimantic Taxing District Board of Directors, Windham (Windham County) term through Nov 2025
Rob Derry, Police Commission, Clinton (Middlesex County) term through Nov 2023
Sandy Lezon, Library Board of Trustees, Warrenville Public Library District, Warrenville, term through April 2025
Steve De La Rosa, Library Board of Trustees, Villa Park (Dupage County) term through April 2025
Scott Harriman, City Council, District 2, Lewiston (Oxford County) term through Nov 2024
Ross Lawrence, City Council, Eastport (Washington County) term through November 2023
Jeff Manter, Town Council, Veazie (Penobscot County) term through July 2023
Scott Avery, Selectboard Member, Casco (Cumberland County), term through June 2024
Jennifer Billings, Selectboard Member, West Paris (Oxford County) term through June 2024
Ronald Deegan, Selectboard Member, Bryant Pond (Woodstock) (Oxford County) term ends March 2022
Glenn Dochtermann, Selectboard Member, Alfred (York County) term through June 2022
Jason Dolloff, Selectboard Member, Peru (Oxford County) term through July 2023
Daniel Frye, Select Board Member, Carmel (Penobscot County) term through March 2023
Gerald Hoag, Select Board Member, Beaver Cove (Penobscot County) term through May 2023 (appointed May 2021)
Wayne ‘Chip’ Johnson, Select Board Member, Solon (Somerset County) term through March 2024
Daniel Monahan, Select Board Member, Trenton (Hancock County) term ends May 2023
Jeremy Petty, Selectboard Member, Sabattus (Androscoggin County) term through November 2023
Rebecca Hennessy, Boardmember School Committee, Northfield (Washington County) term through June 2022
Ann Ingersoll, School Boardmember, Maine School Administrative District #134 (Somerset County) term through March 2024
Danny Jackson, School Boardmember, RSU District 49 School Board (Lincoln County) term through June 2022
Robert Lindblom, School Boardmember, Solon representative, Maine School Administrative District 74 (MSAD) (Somerset County) term through May 2024
Patrick Milligan, School Boardmember, Spruce Mountain School District, Livermore Falls representative (Androscoggin County) term through June 2023
Jessica Smith, School Boardmember, RSU District 16 School Board (Androscoggin County) term through Nov 2022 (appointed August 2021)
Megan Parks, School Committee, Lewiston Public Schools (Androscoggin County) term through Nov 2023
Patricia Patnaude, School Boardmembrer, Maine School Administrative District 72 (MSAD), Stow (Oxford County) term through June 2023
Sam Pfeiffle, School Boardmember, Maine School Administrative District (MSAD 15), Gray/New Gloucester (Cumberland County) term through June 2025
Kevin Souza, Embden representative, Regional School Unit (RSU) #74 (Somerset County) term through March 2022
Nicole Springer, Passadumkeag representative, Maine School Administrative District (MSAD) #31 (Penobscot County) term ends June 2023
Diane Whalen, Regional School Unit 24 #4 Director, Sabattus (Androscoggin County) term through Nov 2024
Ryan Whitehouse, School Boardmember, East Millinocket Schools, East Millinocket (Penobscot County) term through November 2024
Deron Whittemore, School Boardmember, Solon representative, Maine School Administrative District 74 (MSAD) (Somerset County) term through March 2022
Jacqueline Wolinski, School Boardmember, RSU District 54, Skowhegan representative (Somerset County) term through June 2023 (appointed August 2021)
Christopher Henderson, Board of Directors, Hampden Water Board, Hampden (Penobscot County) term through November 2023
Jessica Tremblay, Board of Directors, Alfred Water Board, Alfred (York County) terms through June 2024
Adam Morse, Board of Directors, Freeport Sewer Board, Freeport (Cumberland County) term through November 2024
Sharon Moss, Town Meeting Representative, Shrewsbury (Worcester County) term through May 2023
Edward Tar Larner, Housing Board, Concord (Middlesex County) term through March 2024
Matthew Moncreaff, Board of Selectman, Princeton (Worcester County) term through May 2022
Michael Lavery, Board of Selectman, Becket (Berkshire County) term through June 2023 (joined Green Party in February 2021 after elected in June 2020)
Cliff Yankovich, City Council, Lowell (Kent County) term though Nov 2023
Shauleen Higgin, City Council, Lakeside (Coos County) term through November 2022 (joined Green Party in 2020 after elected in 2018)
Abe Currin, Board of Directors, Zone 6, Blue Mountain Community College (Umatilla County) term ends May 2025
Michael Sonnleitner, Board of Directors, Zone 3, Portland Community College, Portland (Multnomah County) term through May 2023
Michael Clary, Coos Soil and Water Conservation District, Zone 4 (Coos County) term though November 2024
Alex Polikoff, Corvallis Rural Fire Protection District (Benton County) term through May 2024
Brian Powers, Position 5, Hubbard Rural Fire Protection District, Hubbard (Marion County) term ends May 2025
Chloe Flora, Pine Eagle Health District , Position 1 (Baker County) term through May 2025
Matt Donahue, Circuit Court Judge (Benton County) term though May 2026
Laura Dininni, Township Supervisor, Ferguson Township (Centre County) term through Nov 2023 (joined Green Party in August 2021 after elected WHEN)
Matthew Reitenauer, School Board, Brandywine Heights, Topton (Berks County) term through Nov 2025
Jay Sweeney, Auditor, Falls Township (Wyoming County) term through Nov 2025
Abigail Hunter, Judge of Elections Ward 7, Precinct 8, Pittsburgh (Allegheny County) term through Nov 2025
Andrew Moses Yanez Oliva, Judge of Elections, Ward 15, District 6, Reading (Berks County) term through Nov 2025
William Pilkonis, Judge of Elections, W-10 P-01, Scranton (Lackawanna County) term through Nov 2021
Jay Ting Walker, Inspector of Elections, Ward 7, District 6, Pittsburgh (Allegheny County) term through Nov 2023
Brian Benford, Common Council, District 6 (Dane County) term through April 2023
Barbara Dahlgren, District 11, Wisconsin Conservation Congress delegate (Milwaukee County) term through April 2023
An essay against fossil fuel pipelines
Eliminating Fossil Fuel Pipelines — So We have a Healthy Future
Click to download in .pdf
Click to download a free copy of our ebook ~"Eliminating Fossil Fuel Pipelines — So We have a Healthy Future"
In 1971, the following passage was placed in the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
“The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic, and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania’s public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.”
"The federal and state environmental laws which polluting industries are supposed to respect and adhere to, enable them to release significant and damaging emissions that are legal and yet violate the limits of these environmental laws without suffering any serious criminal or financial punishments, even if they make numerous or hundreds of violations."
"The harms of green house gas (GHG) pollutants and the consequences of global warming — such as wildfires, droughts, floods, the wider and more persistent spread of plant-killing and disease-carrying insects, and increased disease in humans, animals, and crops — disproportionately affect the most vulnerable which includes children, the elderly, ethnic minorities, poor communities, and those with underlying health problems."
Links to the articles and informational websites I used in this writing:
By Jocolyn Bowser-Bostick
https://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2021/12/24/mariner-east-pipeline-is-set-to-be-completed-in-2022-after-years-of-environmental-damage-and-delays/
https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/news/new-federal-regulations-add-more-400000-miles-gas-gathering-pipelines-under-federal-oversight
https://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2021/11/19/puc-approves-1-975m-settlement-with-energy-transfer-for-pa-pipeline-blast/
https://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2021/10/05/pa-charges-energy-transfer-with-environmental-crimes-over-mariner-east-pipeline-project/
https://www.fractracker.org/2020/02/pipelines-continue-to-catch-fire-and-explode/#tab-id-4
https://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/ProgramIntegration/Pennsylvania-Pipeline-Portal/Pages/default.aspx
Schools in the Path of Mariner East 2
https://www.fractracker.org/me2-list-of-schools/https://www.fractracker.org/2016/12/me2-schools-populations/
Chester County Planning Commission, Pipeline Information Center
https://www.chescoplanning.org/pic/ProjectsAll.cfm
https://generation180.org/the-absurd-truth-about-fossil-fuel-subsidies/
https://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2015/08/04/unmapped-unregulated-maze-of-rural-pipelines-poses-hidden-risks/
https://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2021/12/sunocomariner-east-pipeline-to-pay-4.html
Sunoco failed to disclose some risks of Mariner East pipeline, was ‘negligent’ in response to concerns, judge rules
https://www.inquirer.com/news/pennsylvania/spl/pa-mariner-east-pipeline-sunoco-ruling-safety-negligence-puc-20210426.html
https://www.findlaw.com/smallbusiness/business-laws-and-regulations/overview-key-federal-environmental-laws.html
PA Act 359 - Oil and Gas Conservation Law (PDF)
https://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Energy/OilandGasPrograms/OilandGasMgmt/pages/laws,-regulations-and-guidelines.aspx
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https://www.facebook.com/BucksCountyCCAP
Reflection on the 2020 Election by PA Green Party Candidate Michael Bagdes-Canning
Bagdes-Canning: Thank you, Chris. It has been little more than a month since Election Day. I am still processing what happened. One thing is obvious, I did not get elected. In a highly charged election cycle, I received 20% of the vote.
However, because of the way the district is drawn, my part of Butler County is a small appendage of PA District 64, but it is a very Republican stronghold. Most of the district is in Venango County, well outside my wheelhouse. Even in Butler County, even in Cherry Valley, this election was different. Voters were focused on the Presidential race, and many people voted only for Republicans. In the past, for my two higher profile races, I won Cherry Valley and did relatively well in other Butler County precincts. This time, it was a dead heat in Cherry Valley. In Butler County, I got a lower percentage of the vote than I did in Venango County (but better than my last runs).
Bagdes-Canning: Well, Chris, we were able to raise a significant amount of money, seven times what the incumbent raised in the cycle and more than all of his previous challengers combined. We ran a spirited campaign, had a robust web presence, and a surprisingly good ground game and phone banking operation.
Second, we reached new people. We developed a productive relationship with a couple groups of young people, students from local high schools and twenty-somethings organized into the Oil Region DSA. The former were a huge part of our local ground game. The latter were part of a direct action we pulled off at my opponent’s local office.
Bagdes-Canning: No matter what, I would recommend starting right now. Start reaching out to the people you need to staff your campaign. Start raising awareness. Build your network. Build enthusiasm. Identify important people. Do not wait.
Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/mike4pa64/;
Twitter, https://mobile.twitter.com/bagdescanning;
Facebook, https://m.facebook.com/mikebagdescanning; and his
website, https://www.mikeforpa64.com/.
PA Should Follow Oregon and Decriminalize Drug Use
PHILADELPHIA – Fifteen states have now legalized the adult use of cannabis (aka marijuana, ganja, reefer, weed, etc.). While you were occupied with the November 3 election, four states, Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota legalized cannabis, joining the other eleven states and two U.S. territories where it was already legal.
Voters in Oregon State, where cannabis was legalized in 2015, went a step further and decriminalized heroin, cocaine, and "all drugs," a sentiment clearly stated in the Green Party platform. For many years the Green Party has called to "implement a step-by-step program to decriminalize all drugs in the United States."
Green Party of Pennsylvania
www.gpofpa.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, December 9, 2020
CONTACT:
Tre Schumacher, [email protected]
Chris Robinson, Communication Team, [email protected]
"Drug legalization exhibits respect for the individual, fiscal responsibility on the part of the government, and progressive criminal justice reform," explained Tre Schumacher (Philadelphia), member of the Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA) steering committee. "Legalizing drugs means less crowded jails and more free citizens contributing to society. It means fewer tax dollars spent on police raids, legal expenses, incarceration expenses, and other expenses associated with enforcing drug criminalization. Legalization means more investments, consumer spending, and tax revenue." Schumacher continued, "Although drug legalization is not police reform, it is policing reform. Drug legalization advances the way we define, think and treat law, crime, and the 'criminal mind.'"
"If drug use is a free choice, the state should have no right to encroach on individual liberty. If drug use results in addiction or destructive behavior, it should then be addressed by medical professionals, not by the state in the form of incarceration," said Tina Olson (Hellertown), organizer for the Lehigh Valley Green Party. "From the perspective of mental health professionals, the question of whether addiction is a moral debate or medical issue has been resolved. As addiction is now listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), we have to look at it as an ongoing health condition. Jailing addicts and addicts-in-recovery is akin to imprisoning someone with schizophrenia. As we know from the history of mental institutions, that method is cruel and inhumane."
Chris Robinson (Philadelphia), co-leader of GPPA's communication team, said, "The voting public overwhelmingly agrees with the Green Party. A supermajority of U.S. voters (68 percent) said they supported legalization of cannabis in a Gallup poll in October 2020. A Harper Poll in May 2020, showed that 62 percent of PA voters supported legalization of cannabis, with majorities from conservatives, centrists and liberals. It is time for the PA General Assembly to act."
The Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA) is an independent political party that stands in opposition to the two corporate parties. GPPA candidates promote public policy based on the Green Party's Four Pillars: ecological wisdom, grassroots democracy, nonviolence, and social justice/equal opportunity. For further information about GPPA, please visit www.gpofpa.org. Please follow GPPA on social media: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
For more information, please see:
Platform, Green Party of the U.S., II. Social Justice, H. Criminal Justice, Green Solutions, End the War on Drugs,
https://www.gp.org/social_justice/#sjCriminalJustice;
"National Poll Finds Overwhelming Support for Legalization" by Marie Edinger, December 1, 2020,
https://www.wikileaf.com/thestash/national-poll-finds-overwhelming-support-for-legalization/;
"Pennsylvania: Poll Shows Broad Support for Legalization," August 25, 2020,
https://www.mpp.org/states/pennsylvania/;
"PA Cannabis Coalition Calls for Principle-Based Approach to Adult-Use Marojuana," June 14, 2020,
https://www.pcanna.org/recentnews.