February 2023 Green Star
February 2023
Working toward a future where people and planet are valued, and our government represents all of us
Organization Turns Passion into Action
By Beth Scroggin, Green Party of Chester County
PA Green News
By Chris Robinson
Green Party Will Solve Hunger in PA
More than ten percent of the U.S. is experiencing food insecurity. People of color are twice as likely to have issues with food. The numbers in 2019 were: Blacks - 19.1%, Hispanic – 15.6%, and Whites – 7.9%. Looking at education, neighbors with no high school diploma were at 27%.
“During 2020 there were 1,772,340 of our PA neighbors living with food insecurity (including 537,080 children),” warns Chris Robinson (Philadelphia), a GPPA delegate. “The average PA food insecurity rate was more than 13 percent (childhood rate more than 20 percent), according to the most recent statistics from the PA Department of Agriculture.”
The following 49 PA counties have food insecurity higher than or equal to the U.S. average of 10 percent... Read more
National Green News
Edited by David Ochmanowicz Jr
Long Road of U.S. Repression
Webinar Courtesy of Gateway Greens.
Since its creation, the U.S. has sought to crush those working for social justice and against war. From the beginning, there has been a struggle between those who work to produce wealth vs. those who hoard it.
Throughout history, the Democratic Party and its Republican twin have been at the center of every type of repression. Suffering has been incredibly intense by peoples of Africa, Latin America and Asia whose bodies and wealth have been stolen.
Webinar from 1/11/23. Speakers included: Madelyn Hoffman, Co-chair, Green Party Peace Action Committee; Kim Scipes, Professor Emeritus, Purdue University Northwest; Don Fitz, Outreach Coordinator, Green Party of St. Louis; Jesse Todd, Alderman, St. Louis City Ward 18; Omali Yeshitela, Chairman, African People’s Socialist Party; Carla “Coffee” Wright (moderator) is candidate for alderperson, St. Louis City Ward 11.
WATCH THE WEBINAR HERE
Honoring The Socialist Legacy of MLK
This MLK Day, conservatives and liberals everywhere will sing the praises of America's most notorious civil rights leader while at the same time completely ignoring Dr. King's strong adherence to democratic socialism which stemmed from his Christian faith. The christo-fascists in the GOP will be especially susceptible to this hypocrisy, posting MLK quotes about love and equality while at the same time pushing through legislation which aims to harm LGBTQ+ communities and pregnant people in the name of Christian values. Socialism, however, is much more in line with the teachings of Jesus than the conservatism and christo-fascism of the GOP... Read more
Yalies, local groups push for Ranked-Choice Voting.
Yale students have joined forces with local organizations to push for ranked-choice voting in federal, state and local elections — an initiative that is gaining ground as the state government considers new legislation... Read more
Global Green News
Edited by Hal Brown
U.N. Chief Denounces the “Deplorable State” of the World
Political and economic leaders from around the world [met] in Davos in the Swiss Alps for the 53rd edition of the World Economic Forum (WEF). This year, the climate inevitably occupies an important place in the discussions. The UN chief lashed out at oil industries who had known for decades about the impact of their activities on the climate. He also drew up an alarming assessment of the state of the planet, in particular because of climate change and conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine. “Some fossil fuel producers were well aware in the 1970s that their flagship product was going to burn the planet,” he said in a speech where he denounced their “big lie.” The Secretary-General has painted a grim but realistic picture of the state of our planet... Read more
Activists Demonstrate in Germany Against the Extension of Coal Mine
...Environmental activists...accused security forces of having “violently” repressed their demonstration...which degenerated into clashes in which dozens of police and demonstrators were injured... Read more
Krakow, Poland, to Reduce Number of Cars to Improve Air Quality
...Air pollution causes 45,000 premature deaths a year in the country. It is to reduce pollution that the city has decided to ban old vehicles on almost all these streets from next year. Krakow will gradually reduce the number of vehicles allowed in the city. Once fully implemented in 2026, only petrol cars built after 2000 and diesels built after 2010 will be able to drive... Read more
GPPA Meeting Dates for 2023
All State Web Conferences will begin promptly at noon.
Sunday, March 12, via Zoom.
Saturday and Sunday, June 10 and 11, location to be announced.
Saturday and Sunday, September 9 and 10, location to be announced.
Sunday, November 12, via Zoom.
GPPA Communications Team
Issue Credits
Editors: Hal Brown, David Ochmanowicz Jr. and Chris Robinson
Contributors: Bill Jones, Chris Robinson and Beth Scroggin
Layout: Hal Brown, Sherri Miller, and David Ochmanowicz Jr.
Graphic Arts: Kevin Richardson
GP Bread & Butter Issues
"Green Party Will Solve Hunger in PA"
https://www.gpofpa.org/green_party_will_solve_hunger_in_pa
"I am a Green Because of My Child"
by Co-Chair Beth Scroggin (Chester),
GPPA GREEN STAR, October 2022 lead story
"Green Party Candidate Demands Broad-band Internet"
"PA Greens Call for Community-Based Economics"
"PA Green Party on Ever-Looming Student Debt Crisis"
"GPPA Will End Housing Insecurity"
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 email [email protected]
Please follow GPPA on social media: Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/gpofpa/
Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/pagreenparty/
Twitter, https://twitter.com/GreenPartyofPA
January 2023 Green Star
January 2023
Working toward a future where people and planet are valued, and our government represents all of us
Green Party Endorses STOP U.S. Wars: MLK Week of Actions
The Green Party of PA Steering Committee has endorsed STOP U.S. Wars: MLK Week of Actions, which will take place from January 13 through January 22, 2023. This nation-wide MLK Week of Actions was called for by the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC). The week will include a variety of actions from demonstrations to teach-ins, banner drops to chalk-ins, street meetings to webinars.
As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. so correctly reminded us, the U.S. is the greatest purveyor of violence in the world. Since WWII, the U.S. has initiated more than 60 military interventions in foreign countries. The U.S. is now in direct confrontation in Ukraine with Russia, another nuclear power. As Dr. King said on April 4, 1967, “The greatest purveyor of violence in the world: my own government. I cannot be silent.”
In addition, the Green Party is encouraging its county Green Parties in PA to organize and to participate in peace events during the STOP U.S. Wars: MLK Week of Actions. For more information, please contact Chris Robinson, GPPA Communication Team, at [email protected]
PA Green News
By Chris Robinson
Delegates from county Green Parties will elect 2023 leaders for the Green Party of PA at their state meeting on January 8.
Officers to be elected will include Co-chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and three Members at Large. Delegates will also elect their representatives to the Green Party U.S. committees and caucuses. Nominations closed on December 31. This meeting will be open to the public, but only delegates may vote.
National Green News
Greens endorse Railroad Workers United demands for sick days and workers' rights
The Green Party joins the rail workers reform caucus, Railroad Workers United, in calling on Congress to instead use the opportunity to empower workers, including by adopting publicly owned railways, paid family and sick leave for workers, and expanded union rights by passing the PRO Act as well funding the NLRB to ensure union rights are protected. more here
Green Party Pushes For Ballot Access In Eight States - Says Party Suppression Equals Voter Suppression
The Green Party results this November will largely determine how many Green candidates can appear on the ballot in the next election cycle, and may also impact ballot lines for the Green Party 2024 presidential nominee. The Green Party currently has ballot lines for 2024 in 16 states and the District of Columbia – and hopes to gain additional lines this November. Because of restrictive ballot access laws, other 2024 ballot lines can only be gained via petitioning in 2023 and 2024. more here
Combat Corruption and Promote Transparency
"Despite world leaders making it clear as part of the Paris Climate Accords that we need to rapidly transition to a clean energy future, banks have continued to pour hundreds of billions of dollars into the fossil fuel industry." Mark Dunlea - Eco-Action Committee Co-Chair. more here
Greens slam Biden administration for impeding climate action at COP27
The push by India and 80 other countries to phase out fossil fuels was rejected, with instead an agreement that only mentions halting “unabated coal,” a loophole to allow fossil fuels to be continued to be burnt while tens of billions of public funds are wasted on the unproven technology of carbon capture. Democrats in the U.S. have diverted billions of tax dollars to such schemes. more here
Global Green News
Edited by Hal Brown
EU Strikes Deal on World’s First Carbon Border Tariff
European lawmakers reached a political agreement on the introduction of a carbon border tax, one of the key tools in the EU’s fight against global warming. From now on, with this tax, manufacturers who want to bring foreign products to European soil will have to pay for the carbon emitted during their production. This system will come into full effect in 2026 or 2027.
The carbon tax will be officially called the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). It was presented by the European Commission in July 2021 with the aim of taxing CO2 emissions linked to imports of steel, cement, fertilizers, aluminum and electricity. CBAM will put European industries on an equal footing with their foreign competitors... more here
Climate Change has Worsened Floods in West Africa
Climate change has increased the likelihood of intense rains 80 times, causing historic floods in Nigeria, which have killed more than 600 people in recent months and devastated agriculture in Africa’s most populous country . . . . .
More than 1.4 million displaced people and hundreds of thousands of hectares of crops were ravaged by these extraordinary floods, which also affected Niger, Chad, and neighboring countries, amid a food crisis linked to the war in Ukraine.
The exceptional rainfall levels in the region around Lake Chad since the start of the rainy season in June are believed to be the main cause of this tragedy... more here
Landmark Biodiversity Agreement at COP15 in Montreal
The 196 states that are signatories to the Convention on Biological Biodiversity have agreed to halt biodiversity loss by 2030. State environment ministers and their negotiators have pledged to take “urgent action” to protect 30% of the planet, restore 30% of ecosystems and double resources for nature protection within 8 years. “The agreement has been adopted,” Huang Runqiu, Chinese president of COP15, said in Montreal . . . .
COP15 also approved the creation of a new branch of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), dedicated to the application of the Kunming-Montreal Agreement: an alternative to the separate fund that many countries of the South still hope to obtain in the future. more here
Marine Tondelier Becomes New Secretary of Europe Ecologie Les Vert Party
The new national secretary of Europe Ecologie Les Verts [EELV] . . . Marine Tondelier . . . will therefore have to tackle a major project: to bring together the different currents of this [French] party in the midst of a crisis. “A new page is opening. We are going to go back on the offensive, with a clear, ambitious and collective political line,” she said . . . .
In her first speech as chief of ecologists, Marine Tondelier highlighted the need to broaden EELV’s electoral base, first of all by having a good European election in 2024, where the party will have an independent list, then to municipal elections of 2026. For the moment, no one is emerging among ecologists for the next presidential election... more here
2023 Green Party of PA goals
2023 GPPA Goals
[Drafted by GPPA Co-chair Jay Walker for the GPPA State Meeting on 11/13/22. It was discussed and passed by the delegates. It still needs a GPPA GROWTH COMMITTEE to follow through with implementation.]
County parties are our cornerstone. They support our petitioning efforts, our candidates, and our local actions.
We need to make sure it's easy to run one and that there's lots of guidance. I want everyone to ask themselves, “is this thing I'm doing for the party helping to build my county chapter?”
Overall Goals
- 10 well functioning county parties
- $20,000 raised to hire ballot access coordinator in 2024
- 7500 signatures gathered around the state
- 300 Greens registered
- 12 Greenstars
County Party Goals each with at least
- 4 meetings (Quarterly)
- 1 local candidate
- 5 heavily involved members
- 10 active members
- 500 signatures gathered
- 3 GPPA State Committee watch parties
- 1 2024 state house candidate identified in each county
- 100% GPPA state committee delegation
- 4 direct actions participated in
Team Goals
- 1 meeting per month
- 2 Co-leader, and vice leader
Communications Team
- 12 Greenstar a month
- 24 news releases
- 1 updated media contact database
Core Team
- 10 mailing lists for county parties
- 36 scheduled emails for county party meetings
- 30 Greens trains on NationBuilder
- 12 phonebanks for turnout to events (monthly)
- 1 updated 2023 Delegate/Officer spreadsheet
- 2 Agenda/Facilitator/Notetaker training
- 1 onboarding system developed
- 1000 disconnected registered Greens reached out to
Finance Team
- 200 dues paid members
- 2 in-person fundraisers
- 6 phonebanks to Greens to get them to become dues payers
- 1 report to Department of State
Greenwave Team
- 1 campaign training
- 4 candidate phonebanks
Green Party of PA
- 1 Green Party of PA Black caucus
- 4 regional meetings
- 90% of state committee delegates on slack
- Competitive 2024 Green Party of PA internal elections
March 2022 Green Star
March 2022
PA Green News, March 2022
By Chris Robinson
PA Greens say, “No War With Russia!”
On February 12, the pre-Valentine’s Day crowd at Philadelphia’s Love Park was joined by 75 demonstrators who gathered for a rally to stop the U.S. escalation of tension with Russia. The protest called for an end to U.S. military and economic moves against Russia. Signs said, “Fight Racism, Not Russians!” and “Union Contracts, Not Military Contracts!”
“The drumbeat for war should be shown for what it is -- a distraction,” declared Hillary Kane (Cedar Park), a member of the Green Party of Philadelphia City Committee (GPOP, www.gpop.org). “It is a convenient distraction from all of the ills plaguing Biden domestically -- from the COVID pandemic to the housing crisis to the climate crisis. We need to focus our energies on those issues, not some trumped up conflict with Russia.”
. . . . “The U.S. is in a crisis of its own,” said GPOP member Georgie Georgeson (South Philadelphia). “I can think of far better uses for our tax dollars than to line the pockets of war profiteers and gamble with the lives of our youth and the lives of innocent Russians and Ukrainians. Biden should exercise diplomacy and focus instead on fulfilling his campaign promises and making tangible improvements in the lives of his constituents.” Story here
Stop Banking the Bomb Promoted by PA Greens
by Riley Mahon, GPOAC Steering Committee.
Stop Banking The Bomb (SBTB) is a Pittsburgh-based campaign targeting PNC Bank for its illegal investment in nuclear weapons. In total, PNC has invested 1.6 billion dollars in eight nuclear weapon manufacturers. Nuclear weapons have been banned under international law since January 2021. The SBTB coalition has more than two dozen organizations as members, including the Green Party of Allegheny County [GPOAC] and the Green Party of Butler/Venango Counties. SBTB demands that PNC Bank immediately sell all of its assets invested in nuclear weapon manufacturers and make a binding commitment to never again invest in weapons of mass destruction. . . .
Stop Banking The Bomb regularly has rallies, die-ins, marches, and other events to put public pressure on PNC Bank. They held a recent teach-in on January 25 to educate people about their movement, the role and history of nuclear weapons, what PNC Bank does as a company, and the international treaties banning nuclear weapons. Story Here
Philly Greens Denounce Corruption of Elected Officials
by Jarrett Anderson in Philadelphia Weekly, January 6, 2022
Philadelphia City Councilmember Bobby Henon joined the long list of local elected officials who have been convicted of corruption. . . . One might assume that a City Councilmember would view themselves as a civil servant, but the federal jury’s recent decision in Henon’s case suggests otherwise. Audio and text exchanges revealed that Councilmember Henon had gone to bat, not for his constituents, but for his powerful labor leader friend and campaign donor John Dougherty. Story Here
Recently, the following local Democratic elected officials have gone to jail:
- City Treasurer (2005),
- PA State Senator (2014),
- PA Representatives from Districts 198, 191, and 192 (2015),
- U.S. Congressman (2016),
- PA Representative from District 197 (2016),
- Philadelphia District Attorney (2017),
- PA Representative from District 190 (2018),
- another PA Representative from District 190 (2019), and
- Philadelphia Sheriff (2019).
. . . . [The Green Party] invites our neighbors to reject the political corruption of the corporate duopoly and demand that local officials be the type of civil servants our communities need.
National Green News
Edited by Noah Alter
The Green Party Stands for Sor Social Justice
Stop the Saber-Rattling! Greens Call for Immediate Diplomacy to Resolve Ukraine Crisis!
Green Party leaders from all corners of the country are calling upon President Biden and his administration to immediately put an end to the dangerous military tensions between NATO, its allies and Russia and to pursue a more diplomatic solution to the crisis. . . . [The continuous threats of military action and sanctions against Russia are escalating this crisis to an increasingly dangerous level, particularly for our friends in the Ukraine.]
“The risk of this conflict erupting into a disastrous large-scale war is too great to ignore in order to please arms makers and bellicose politicians,” said Madelyn Hoffman, 2020 Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate from New Jersey and a member of the Green Party Peace Action Committee (GPAX) . . . .
The Green Party supports the recognition by the U.S. of the sovereignty of nations and their right to self-determination. It is our obligation to take disputes with other nations to the U.N. Security Council and General Assembly for negotiation and to solve disputes through diplomatic means. The Green Party urges both the U.S. and Russia to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and to pursue possible grounds for talks on secondary issues.
“The U.S. should restore the security guarantees it gave to Russia in return for German unification 30 years ago and instead use this crisis as an opportunity for nuclear disarmament negotiations,” stated Howie Hawkins, Green Party 2020 presidential nominee. . . show more
Global Green News
Edited by Hal Brown
The Gambia, a less polluting country, suffers the most from climate change
. . . According to a study conducted by the NGO Climate Action Tracker (CAT), The Gambia is one of the countries most committed to the fight against climate change. . . . But despite its efforts to fight against global warming,
The Gambia is very threatened. Its capital, Banjul, could be flooded if nothing is done. . . .
Several crops, such as rice fields, are already threatened by this rising sea. This is the case along the border with Senegal, in the south of The Gambia, where the ocean is advancing inexorably.
Even if The Gambia is considered one of the least polluting countries, with a tiny carbon footprint: barely 0.01%, far from 28% in China or 14% in the United States, it remains paradoxically one [of the] countries most vulnerable to climate change. . . show more
The Green Party of Brazil Combats Illegal Mining in the Amazon
The Partido Verde (PV), the Green Party of Brazil, filed an allegation of non-compliance against General Augusto Heleno, the Minister of Institutional Security. General Heleno has authorized illegal mining in a protected area of the Amazon. . . . The truth is General Heleno has been emboldened by the Brazilian President to push for mining whenever possible. Illegal mining has hit record highs under the leadership of the Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro ., . . .
In order to preserve their land, which feature biodiversity hotspots and natural carbon capture wells, the Amazonian Indigenous groups have gone abroad to seek extra help. Brazilian Indigenous groups have filed a complaint against their government with the International Court at The Hague in the Netherlands. However, Bolsonaro is unlikely to be moved by any of their sentiments or the limited pressure from the international community . . . show more
Greens React to EU’s proposed Green Label for Gas and Nuclear Investment
. . . On December 31, 2021, the European Commission drafted its green energy taxonomy and proposed that nuclear and natural gas projects could count as “green” investments under certain conditions. However, many concerns and controversial ideas were raised by environmental activists and different stakeholders, especially investors . . . . Robert Habeck, leader of the German Green Party, responded to EU’s proposal on January 25, 2022,”which in my view contradicts the very idea of the taxonomy by designating gas and nuclear as eligible for financial markets . . . would not have been necessary.” He also stated,” If nuclear energy stays in the taxonomy as proposed, Germany should vote no.”
. . . “It’s a huge waste of time and a defeat for Europe,” Anna Deparnay-Grunenberg, member of the Greens/EFA in the European Parliament, mentioned. “Every euro put into natural gas and nuclear power prevents us from taking the big steps towards a truly renewable world. It is much faster and more ecological to invest directly in 100% renewables.” show more
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Green Star is a publication of the Green Party of Pennsylvania Communications Team * 2022
February 2022 Green Star
February 2022
Working toward a future where people and planet are valued, and our government represents all of us.
YOUR 2022 NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION
BY GPPA CO-CHAIR BETH SCOGGIN
Happy New Year, everyone! With 2021 now behind us, this is the perfect time to look ahead and create the metaphorical trellis upon which the rest of this year will grow vines. With your help, those vines can bear the fruit of Greens in elected offices across the Commonwealth. . . .
A few weeks ago, a Democratic Party candidate for Governor, Josh Shapiro, visited West Chester, the county seat of Chester County, where I live. Stumping for Shapiro was the current Governor Tom Wolf. A group of people from the Uwchlan Safety Coalition, www.uwchlansafetycoalition.org, organized a demonstration of residents to ask Governor Wolf, in person, to pull the construction permits for the Mariner East II pipeline. . .
While we protested, chanting "Pull the permits now!" and holding signs, both Wolf and Shapiro noticed us but did not acknowledge our presence. They were too busy patting themselves on the back for not being Donald Trump, and giving speeches devoid of plans for meaningful change. . . .
Now more than ever, we need Green solutions to the problems plaguing us all. Climate change has already been causing violent storms in many parts of the world, droughts and wildfires in other parts. A lack of nationalized health care has caused many to die needlessly because they can't afford the care they need. Hospitals are understaffed and their workers are exhausted and underpaid. Similarly, lack of funding for education has led to staff shortages so severe that it's a wonder our schools can operate on a day-to-day basis. It's been more than a decade since Occupy Wall Street, yet wealth inequality continues to grow by the day. Mainstream politicians continue to ignore these issues. They will continue to ignore these issues because corporations benefit from the status quo, and those same corporations fund electoral campaigns of the two corporate parties. The Green Party is the ONLY party that does not accept corporate funding, and as a result, you can count on Green candidates to represent YOUR interests!
The Green Party is calling for YOUR help in 2022! If you care about promoting our four pillars of nonviolence, social justice, grassroots democracy, and ecological wisdom, please join us! Whether you're new to politics, have plenty of experience but have taken a break, or have been fighting the system for decades, we will welcome you and find something important for you to do. We need candidates for all elected offices, as well as people who will help those candidates run their campaigns. Make one of your New Year's resolutions to get in touch with your local Green Party, or start one of your own!
https://www.gpofpa.org/forms/shares/new?page_id=3981
GPPA NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
edited by Chris Robinson
PA Green Party Elects 2022 Steering Committee
GPPA has two co-chairs who serve for staggered two-year terms. The delegates [on 1/9/22] elected Co-chair Jay Ting Walker (Allegheny County) as leader until the end of 2023. Walker has been a member at large of the GPPA steering committee and an elected member of the Green Party of Allegheny County (GPOAC, https://www.alleghenygreens.org/) steering committee since 2017. Walker has also run twice for election as the GPPA candidate for PA House District 23. Incumbent Co-chair Beth Scroggin (Chester County) said, “I am so grateful to Jay Ting Walker for joining me as co-chair! His energy, enthusiasm, and ideas are just what the Green Party needs to move forward this year.” Referring to other new members of the GPPA steering committee, Scroggin continued, “David Ochmanowicz (Bucks County) brings more than a decade of experience with the Green Party as well as his seasoning as an elected Green official. Beth Schongar and Claire Cohen are both accomplished, passionate women who will bring fresh perspectives to our steering committee. Overall, we will have a great team of people!” Asked for his political forecast, Walker said, “I predict that 2022 will be a dazzling year for the Green Party. We have justice, climate science, the people, and even the PA Constitution on our side. Our only obstacles are the corporations and the politicians they have in their pockets. The Green Party will be in the streets and on the ballot, fighting for the future of every citizen of PA. . . .”(show all)
Green Party Opposes Fossil Fuel Pipelines in PA
Jocolyn Bowser-Bostick (Delaware County), a former member of the Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA, www.gpofpa.org) steering committee, pointed out, “. . .There are numerous examples of how pipeline companies have been allowed to grossly pollute the environment without meaningful consequences .. . . There are many patterns of behavior we need to stop and many actions we need to take to make sure we will have a healthy, safe and beautiful environment in which we, our future children, and our precious wildlife can thrive, and the Green Party with its 10 Key Values makes sure these goals remain central to our purpose. . . .” “My point of view,” she continued, “and that of the Green Party of PA is that there is no sane reason to be maintaining or adding to the pipeline infrastructure that we have in PA. In fact, on November 14, 2021, the assembled delegates of the Green Party of Pennsylvania voted unanimously to oppose any proposed or under construction fossil fuel pipelines in PA and to favor the dismantling of in-use fossil fuel pipelines as soon as possible, which will be able to happen as we adopt more clean energy infrastructure. . . .”(show all)
Mayor Kenney: Appoint Rich Garella to Philadelphia City Commissioners
The Minor Party seat will soon be open on the Philadelphia City Commissioners, offering a good opportunity to remember that there are more than two political parties in Philadelphia. The Green Party of Philadelphia was founded in 2001, like all Green Parties, on our “four pillars” of grassroots democracy, nonviolence, ecological wisdom and social justice. The Green Party of Philadelphia offers up to Mayor Kenney the perfect candidate to fill the seat vacated by Republican Commissioner Al Schmidt: Richard Garella. Rich is a long-time advocate of fair elections. He is a member of the Election Verification Network and a co-founder of Protect Our Vote Philly, a “coalition of groups and individuals, working to bring elections that are verifiably fair, accurate, and secure to Philadelphia, at a fair cost.” Rich has spent countless hours observing and reporting on Philadelphia elections as an official Green Party observer and knows first-hand how to improve our system. Through POV, he has pushed for voting machines that insure the integrity of the vote, and other measures to guarantee that all Philadelphians’ votes count. Rich’s values are Philadelphia’s values, and we urge Mayor Kenney to appoint this outstanding candidate as City Commissioner. . . .(show all)
It was a good run . . . but the race is far from over.
David Ochmanowicz has been a Green Party activist since 2011. During 2017, he ran for and won a seat as Director of the Quakertown Community School Board in Bucks County. Ochmanowicz did not run for re-election this year, and he has offered some thoughts about his presence as School Director. -- By David Ochmanowicz. As my 4 years as School Director conclude, who would have thought I would have so many mixed feelings over these last few months. What a privilege it has been to be the voice of a (my) community. What a responsibility it has been to be trusted to serve. It's an end to something; an ending I chose with my eyes wide open. You might think that would make my transition into a more normal life much easier. But it doesn’t. . . . What will happen next is still unwritten. “We the People” must pay attention, get involved, and participate. Otherwise, the pages of time will be written by private lawyers funded by corporate interests. You should support people who choose to fight for the public good, for the common good. You should become a person who chooses to fight for the public good, for the common good.(show all)
Green Party Candidates Reflect On 2021 PA Election
In the 2021 General Election, the Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA, www.gpofpa.org) had 12 candidates on the ballot and several write-ins. When the smoke cleared, the Green Party had seven candidates win the election. Several Green Party candidates offered their thoughts on the 2021 campaign. Those thoughts are collected here to help future candidates, especially those who are running for office in 2022. . . . (show all)
PA Greens Endorse Shut Down Berks
Meeting virtually on November 14, elected delegates to the Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA, www.gpofpa.org) unanimously endorsed the Shut Down Berks Coalition. The coalition is a group of organizations and individuals demanding the closure of the Berks County Family Detention Center (BCRC) in PA and an end to the practice of imprisoning immigrant families in the U.S. . . . “Detention is not a deterrent, and we have seen countless studies and statistics to that effect,” explained Secretary Jes Potts of the Green Party of Berks County. . . . (show all)
NATIONAL GREEN NEWS
edited by Noah Alter
Biden Must Issue Executive Orders on Climate, Halt Fossil Fuels
The EcoAction Committee of the Green Party of the United States (Green Party US) condemns President Biden’s year of climate negligence and renews the call to pressure the president to declare a climate emergency and issue a comprehensive series of related Executive Orders, as described on ClimatePresident.org. . . . “Biden and the Democrats have squandered the first year of what is likely to be only a two-year window . . . ,” [said Mark Dunlea, co-chair of the EcoAction Committee]. “Last year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a ‘Code Red for the planet,’ saying the pledges made by elected officials since the Paris accords were far too little to avoid a climate collapse. It is long past time for Senator Schumer to make Senators take a public vote on whether they will sacrifice the well-being of their constituents and future generations in order to maintain the campaign donations and profits of fossil fuel companies. . . .”(show all)
Green Party U.S. Steering Committee on COVID-19 Vaccines and Mandates
The Green Party of the United States Steering Committee strongly supports the use of vaccines, vaccine mandates and quarantines as part of a comprehensive public health effort to curb and eradicate the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has swept the globe since early 2020. . . . To ensure the most vulnerable individuals and communities are protected, and provide parents and families the economic and social aid necessary to support collective public health policy, we support a…(show all)
GLOBAL GREEN NEWS
edited by Hal Brown
Rising Greens in the Philippines and Indonesia
The Green Party of the Philippines (GPP) or the GGP Kalikasan Muna as they are called are set to participate in the 2022 local and national elections. Kalikasan Muna means ‘Nature First,’ and this motto is an apt name for a party who wishes to reshape politics in the Philippines. The GGP are fielding both local and national candidates, however only some local candidates are running under the GGP party name . . . . The GGP’s platform outlines a declaration of a national climate emergency, moratorium on mining, food sovereignty, green education, green communes, and renewable energy. They have a further 10-point plan on their website . . . . The three green parties in Indonesia are the Sarekat Hijau Indonesia (SHI), the Parti Atjeh Hijau (PAH), and the Parti Hijau Indonesia (PHI). In such a large country they have different influences depending on the location. The oldest and the one with the best shot at entering the national election in 2024 is the PHI. They have member groups in all 34 provinces. The other two parties are more regionally focused. The SHI has 30,000 members in 10 provinces, and the PAH is the newest party with 1,200 members in 7 provinces. . . .(show all)
The largest country in sub-Saharan Africa, with an area equivalent to that of Western Europe, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is endowed with exceptional natural resources. In addition to its mineral wealth (cobalt and copper in particular), the country has great hydroelectric potential, vast arable land, tremendous biodiversity and is home to the second largest tropical forest in the world. However, poverty remains widespread in the DRC. The country ranks third in the world for the number of poor people and the situation has worsened further following the COVID-19 pandemic . . . . For [the leader of the Congolese Greens] Didace Pembe, the finance bill tabled by the government in parliament is far from having a social character in many respects . . . . He criticized the substantial increase in the standard of living of [government] institutions at a time when the Congolese are demanding a drop in this standard of living. “As I looked through the different lines of credit, I noticed the existence of several agencies and services whose usefulness in the field leaves me perplexed. The budgetary allocations of the Presidency of the Republic increased by 37.2% in 2022 . . . an increase of $94,900,000!!! I would like to know for which objectives?”(show all)
Norway Greens’ Alternative Budget
The Green Party of Norway or the ‘Miljøpartiet De Grønne’ (MDG) has published an alternative budget for 2022. While the MDG is currently not holding power in Norway’s ruling coalition they have created an example of what the economy could look like called ‘The Good, Green Life.’ The hope is that this budget may provide examples of what the ruling coalition could do to better help the environment. Here are [two] of the main points: Give a check for 4,000 kroner ($561 CAD) to each person, so a 5 person household would receive 20,000 NOK ($2,805 CAD). Once this is in place they will hike prices for climate threatening activities like driving fossil fuel cars or flying regionally around the country. This climate reward check would be financed by the taxes on these activities . . . . Spend more money on green energy investments such as off-shore wind, solar power, carbon capture and storage, and increasing recycling and reusing facilities. These investments would go hand in hand with raising the tax on oil to 43 NOK per barrel. Thus, incentivizing green energy and taxing harmful fossil fuels . . . (show all)
CONTRIBUTORS: Jocolyn Bowser-Bostick, David Ochmanowicz, Chris Robinson Beth Schongar, Beth Scroggin and Jay Walker.
LAYOUT: Hal Brown, Sheri Miller and David Ochmanowicz.
GRAPHIC ARTS: Kevin Richardson
GPPA MEETING DATES FOR 2022
- Sunday, March 13, 2022
- Sunday, June 12, 2022
- Sunday, September 11, 2022
- Sunday, November 13, 2022
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