For Immediate Release

September 25, 2015

Contacts:

Jay Sweeney jnln@epix.net

570-587-3603

David F. Ochmanowicz Jr.  daveochman@gmail.com

GPPA welcomes Pope Francis to Pennsylvania

The Green Party of Pennsylvania welcomes His Holiness Pope Francis to our beloved Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. His much-anticipated visit to Philadelphia is a joy to so many.

In Pope Francis’s recent encyclical about climate change and the environment, Laudato Si’ (Praise Be to You), he has shown his passion to live up to his adopted papal name Francis, after the Christian patron saint of animals and the environment.  

“Pope Francis shares many of the The Green Party of Pennsylvania’s values.” said GPPA Chair Jay Sweeney.   “He is outspoken on social justice, environmental and economic issues that our party has been equally outraged over”, Sweeney concluded.

“Pope Francis’s encouraging words and efforts to address climate change, his implicit opposition to fracking, his care and respect for people of all nations and his criticism of the ‘cheerful recklessness’ of pure unregulated capitalism show that we share mutual goals in these important areas”, said GPPA Steering Committee member David Ochmanowicz Jr.

The Green Party of Pennsylvania is an independent political party that stands in opposition to the two corporate parties. The Green Party of Pennsylvania stands for grassroots democracy, social justice, non-violence and ecological wisdom.

The Green Party of Pennsylvania is a confederation of local organizations. Our values of decentralization and grassroots democracy have encouraged us to avoid a top-down organizational style. Differences among affiliates are many. Projects and priorities depend on the energy and interests of members. New members and diverse voices are always welcome.

Our Mission:

The mission of the Green Party of Pennsylvania is to promote Green values throughout Pennsylvania by participation in the political process: electing candidates; enacting legislation; organizing communities; providing viable new political options; supporting the development of county Green Parties; and making government more open, democratic, and participatory for all Pennsylvania citizens.

The Green Party 10 Key Values:  

Grassroots Democracy
Social Justice and Equal Opportunity
Ecological Wisdom
Nonviolence 
Decentralization 
Community-Based Economics and Economic Justice 
Feminism and Gender Equity 
Respect for Diversity 
Personal and Global Responsibility 
Future Focus and Sustainability 

These core values place us in opposition to the corporate mindset of the Democrat and Republican parties.

Party Structure and Leadership:

The Green Party of Pennsylvania is grassroots political party that charges our affiliated local counties and committees with the leadership of the party.  Learn more about our structure and party leadership by following clicking the buttons below.

Greens in Office:

Scores of Greens have been elected to county and municipal office throughout the country.  In Pennsylvania, dozens of Greens have been elected to local positions across the state, e.g. Auditor, Supervisor, Mayor, Constable, School Board seats, etc.  To see current office-holders, visit PA Greens in Office. 

National and International Greens:

The Green Party of Pennsylvania is a member of the Green Party of the United States (GPUS), an alliance of state Green parties.  To find our National Committee Members and Delegates, visit our Contact page.

Brief History of Green Party of Pennsylvania:

The Green Party of Pennsylvania has long been a leading force within Green Party politics.  Pennsylvania members played an integral part during the founding meeting of the Association of State Green Parties in November 1996.  During July 2001, the Green Party of Pennsylvania helped in the creation of the Green Party of United States with a Pennsylvania Green serving as one of the first co-chairs of the national organization.  The Annual Convention of the Green Party of the United States was twice hosted in Pennsylvania at Philadelphia in 2002 and at Reading in 2007.

Pennsylvanians have taken up the Green Party ballot line to run for public office since as early as 1993.  Greens have run for nearly every office with many successfully serving as school board directors, council members, and election judges.  During the 2012 Presidential election Pennsylvania Greens helped nominate Cheri Honkala for the office of Vice-President.

The Green Party of Pennsylvania was first recognized as a minor political party in the state in 2000.  Minor party status was lost after 2006 and was not again obtained until 2016.  While not always on the ballot, the Green Party of Pennsylvania has tirelessly fought restrictive ballot access laws in the state.  The Green Party of Pennsylvania has defended such notorious ballot challenges like that of Carl Romanelli’s 2006 race for U.S. Senate.  Romanelli collected over 100,000 signatures on his nominating papers yet he faced nearly $80,000 in court costs and was ultimately removed from the ballot.  Such oppressive laws were broken apart when in 2016 a court decision reduced the required signatures needed for ballot access to just 5,000 and further alleviated the liability of the defendant to pay the challengers legal fees when filing objections to Green Party nominating papers.­­­